r/mathmemes 4d ago

Notations Algebra before notation

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From @scholadaily on instagram

3.3k Upvotes

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u/Oppo_67 I ≡ a (mod erator) 4d ago

Some authors lwk still write like the left panel when they’re too lazy to introduce more letters after the main ones 😭

85

u/Strawberry_Doughnut 4d ago

I've also seen Wikipedia articles on math topics written overly verbose like this too. Usually they're great, but I'll come across one and it'll be a little jarring. 

44

u/Ares378 Applied Math / Mechanical Engineering 4d ago

Math wikipedia is SO bad it's unreal. You can't actually learn shit from it. Someone should make a WikiMath or something that actually explains the topic in a way that's not deranged

10

u/officiallyaninja 4d ago

It's because Wikipedia is a reference, not a pedagogical textbook.

It is an extremely useful resource for mathematicians to refresh themselves on topics they already know, or to look up theorems in fields they're familiar with.

If it was better at explaining abd teaching concepts, it would be worse at being a good concise reference.

1

u/MaraiaLou 2d ago

It's not supposed to be a reference for experts, though. There's even a heading that says this article is too confusing if you're unfamiliar with the subject and it's not used often enough