Space is significant: Difference between revisions

From Why start at x, y, z
No edit summary
Line 9: Line 9:
==Examples==
==Examples==


Entries in a matrix are separated by empty space:
Entries in a matrix are separated by empty space<ref>[https://twitter.com/christianp/status/1444937081915068416 Tweet by Christian Lawson-Perfect]</ref>:


\[ \begin{pmatrix} 1 & - 2 \\ 3 & - 4 \end{pmatrix} \]  
\[ \begin{pmatrix} 1 & - 2 \\ 3 & - 4 \end{pmatrix} \]  

Revision as of 08:41, 4 October 2021


Empty space is often significant in mathematical notation, but it's easy to misinterpret, and hard to produce accurately.

TeX applies different amounts of spacing around symbols based on context. The ubiquity of TeX means that typeset expressions without this spacing look odd.

There's some evidence that people learning algebra use the spacing of symbols to deduce rules.[1]

Examples

Entries in a matrix are separated by empty space[2]:

\[ \begin{pmatrix} 1 & - 2 \\ 3 & - 4 \end{pmatrix} \]

\[ \begin{pmatrix} 1-2 \\ 3 - 4 \end{pmatrix} \]


Statements about a line are usually separated from the main expression by a large space.

\[ 4=1 \mod 3 \]

versus

\[ 4=1 \bmod 3\]


Juxtaposing two fractions:

\[ \frac{1}{2} \frac{-3}{4} \]

\[ \frac{1-3}{2\, 4} \]

References

  1. Visual salience of Algebraic Transformations, David Kirshner and Thomas Awtry, Journal for Research in Mathematics Education.
  2. Tweet by Christian Lawson-Perfect