# We've run out of mathematical symbols **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-run-out-of-mathematical-symbols/224640 "2004-01-15T19:58:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-run-out-of-mathematical-symbols/224640/21 "2004-01-17T14:50:25Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > The one symbol problem that I have encountered the most is _v_(nu?) and v. Old schoolers use the greek _v_ for frequency, which many times is around or in equations with v, for velocity. What was wrong with f? If you’re unlucky, then your instructor’s nu’s will look like v’s, and his v’s will look like V’s, and his V’s will look like U’s, and his U’s will look like u’s. And if you’re extremely unluckly, his u’s will look like n’s, and his n’s will look like r’s or h’s. I’ve had ones whose G’s look like 6’s, rho’s look like p’s, and xi’s and zeta’s both look like quarter-rests. ---
**Author:** ![Indefatigable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9d8465/32.png) [@Indefatigable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indefatigable)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-run-out-of-mathematical-symbols/224640/22 "2004-01-17T16:51:17Z")
Some friends and I have tried other alphabets. Arabic and Cree don’t work, they have too many little lines and dots that could be mistaken for vector arrows or average bars or differentiation dots. Some Hebrew letters might be okay. There are some Russian (Cyrillic) letters that don’t look too much like Greek ones, and they could work. If I were a theoretical physicist and needed to come up with some new symbols for concepts I introduced, I’m sure I could find some. But I’m an observational astronomer, so I’ll leave that job to someone else. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-run-out-of-mathematical-symbols/224640/23 "2004-01-18T04:20:02Z")
If we really needed new symbols, we could raid the tomes left us by alchemists. Astronomers have, as you well know, **Indefatigable** , and they’re pretty distinctive little glyphs. The universal symbols for `male' and `female’ (or Mars and Venus, respectively) are descendents of this tradition. Plus, writing an equation full of arcane symbols once restricted to the esoteric, cabbalistic knowledge of proto-chemists would be fun. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-run-out-of-mathematical-symbols/224640/24 "2004-01-18T04:41:52Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Astronomers have, as you well know, **Indefatigable** , and they’re pretty distinctive little glyphs. True, but those only ever get used as subscripts, and I would say 99% of the time it’s the symbol for Sun or Earth, which are pretty unremarkable. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-run-out-of-mathematical-symbols/224640/25 "2004-01-18T06:59:52Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > It’s all about context. Yep. There is no universal standard for a lot of expressions, plus you just run out of symbols when you’re working on your own. I knew a guy who botched an exam when he confused his b’s with beta’s. Maybe the OP should learn the Arabic alphabet! Well, I now officially wish death on Bill Gates. Where the fuck is my character map?! ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-run-out-of-mathematical-symbols/224640/26 "2004-01-18T11:41:19Z")
> [@Achernar](#): > > True, but those only ever get used as subscripts, and I would say 99% of the time it’s the symbol for Sun or Earth, which are pretty unremarkable. Indeed it is. What gets really confusing is when you work in more than one branch of astronomy. To an X-ray astronomer, beta is the ratio of the kinetic energy contained in the galaxies in a cluster to the kinetic energy of the gas in the cluster. To a radio astronomer, particularly one who works on radio galaxies, beta is the jet speed in the radio galaxy. Now, when you combine X-ray and radio astronomy, and you’re working on radio galaxies in clusters, things get confusing. Trust me. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-run-out-of-mathematical-symbols/224640.md?page=1)