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(Created page with "Category:Ambiguities The ! symbol is used to represent the factorial operation. When a factorial appears inside a sentence, it's possible to misinterpret the ! as an exc...") |
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The ! symbol is used to represent the factorial operation. | The ! symbol is used to represent the factorial operation. | ||
When a factorial appears inside a sentence, it's possible to misinterpret the ! as an exclamation mark: | When a factorial appears inside a sentence, it's possible to misinterpret the ! as an exclamation mark<ref>[https://twitter.com/matthras/status/1415236669553274882 Tweet by Matt Mack]</ref>: | ||
<blockquote> | <blockquote> | ||
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Two ! symbols together represent the ''double factorial'', multiplying just the odd or even numbers. So juxtaposition doesn't represent composition here: \(x!! \neq (x!)!\) | Two ! symbols together represent the ''double factorial'', multiplying just the odd or even numbers. So juxtaposition doesn't represent composition here: \(x!! \neq (x!)!\) | ||
Does it make it clearer that a factorial is a present if you add another punctuation symbol after the ! symbol? | |||
<blockquote> | |||
"There are 6!." | |||
</blockquote> | |||
However, if you want to express surprise with an exclamation mark, it could look like a double factorial: | |||
<blockquote> | |||
"There are 6!!" | |||
</blockquote> | |||
Maybe ! should only be used for "factorial" in contexts that are unambiguously and clearly delimited mathematical notation, and the word "factorial" should be used in prose: | |||
<blockquote> | |||
"There are 6 factorial." | |||
</blockquote> | |||
Revision as of 09:20, 14 July 2021
The ! symbol is used to represent the factorial operation.
When a factorial appears inside a sentence, it's possible to misinterpret the ! as an exclamation mark[1]:
"How many ways of ordering six objects are there?"
"There are 6!"
Two ! symbols together represent the double factorial, multiplying just the odd or even numbers. So juxtaposition doesn't represent composition here: \(x!! \neq (x!)!\)
Does it make it clearer that a factorial is a present if you add another punctuation symbol after the ! symbol?
"There are 6!."
However, if you want to express surprise with an exclamation mark, it could look like a double factorial:
"There are 6!!"
Maybe ! should only be used for "factorial" in contexts that are unambiguously and clearly delimited mathematical notation, and the word "factorial" should be used in prose:
"There are 6 factorial."
