summaryrefslogtreecommitdiff
path: root/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/5_2/carlisle.tex
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
Diffstat (limited to 'usergrps/uktug/baskervi/5_2/carlisle.tex')
-rw-r--r--usergrps/uktug/baskervi/5_2/carlisle.tex26
1 files changed, 26 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/5_2/carlisle.tex b/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/5_2/carlisle.tex
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4b827a25e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/5_2/carlisle.tex
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+\title{Letters to the editor 2: Maths in \protect\LaTeX, Part 3}
+\author{David Carlisle}
+\begin{Article}
+
+ The comments on the inadvisability of redefining user level commands
+ are valid, but the example in question, \verb|\emptyset| in the AMS
+ packages, is just due to an error in the first printing of \emph{The
+ \LaTeX\ Companion} (as noted in \texttt{compan.err} in the \LaTeX\
+ distribution.) The `amssymb' package does not redefine
+ \verb|\emptyset|. It still looks like a 0 with a line through it. The
+ same glyph as in plain \TeX. \verb|\varnothing| is a slashed-circle.
+
+Actually this raises an interesting side issue. The error in the
+Companion printing was due to an error in the styles for \emph{Lucida}
+fonts. (The Companion does not use the cm or AMS fonts). As Lucida
+does provide both glyphs, it was simply an error to have the names
+interchanged, but consider a hypothetical situation of a math font
+family that only provides one slashed-closed-curve. How visually
+dis-similar to $\emptyset$ may it be before it becomes unacceptable to
+assign it to the command \verb|\emptyset|? For text fonts large differences
+are acceptable. `Q' does not look much like `\texttt{Q}' but both are
+accessed by `Q' and any differences are accepted by the reader as
+differences in font design. In mathematics the situation is not at all
+clear\ldots
+
+\end{Article} \ No newline at end of file