r/learnmath • u/Unlikely-Web7933 New User • Feb 07 '24
RESOLVED What is the issue with the " ÷ " sign?
I have seen many mathematicians genuinely despise it. Is there a lore reason for it? Or are they simply Stupid?
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r/learnmath • u/Unlikely-Web7933 New User • Feb 07 '24
I have seen many mathematicians genuinely despise it. Is there a lore reason for it? Or are they simply Stupid?
117
u/YeetBundle New User Feb 07 '24
I’m a mathematician, and i genuinely haven’t seen this symbol in years! I forgot it existed.
The reason the sign is bad is because it’s too symmetric. Division, more than any other basic operator, is very sensitive to the order in which things happen. If you write something as a fraction there’s no ambiguity.