News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:The exponential function is a miracle by The_rationalist on Friday September 13, 2019 @04:09AM (#20960142)
It's kinda sad that formalism here is far less clearer than natural language. I often wonder if instead of formalisms, mathematicians should just have used attempto controlled English.
Re:The exponential function is a miracle by lonelappde on Friday September 13, 2019 @07:09PM (#20967601)
They tried that before the nineteenth century and it stymied progress. Imagine multiplying just two-digit numbers without any notation.
Re:The exponential function is a miracle by The_rationalist on Saturday September 14, 2019 @07:15AM (#20970085)
They didn't tried attempto controlled English in the nineteenth century as it only exists since end of twenty century.

Imagine multiplying just two-digit numbers without any notation I agree, notation can be useful for concision. Far less for clarity. Instead of a black or white thinking, I'm wishing that mathematicians use more well defined English in their proof, but still use notation where it is clear and more concise.