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Re: Primed Variables in Mathematica

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg50699] Re: [mg50652] Primed Variables in Mathematica
• From: Murray Eisenberg <murray at math.umass.edu>
• Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2004 01:16:29 -0400 (EDT)
• Organization: Mathematics & Statistics, Univ. of Mass./Amherst
• References: <200409150550.BAA11814@smc.vnet.net>
• Reply-to: murray at math.umass.edu
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Interesting typographical issue here (I won't respond to the issue of 
using primed variables).

TraditionalForm[f'] gives an entirely pleasing, raised prime. 
TraditionalForm[f''] does, too.
TraditionalForm[f'''] gives an appealing rendering of f with a 
superscript (3).

David Park wrote:
> Primed variables are in such common use in textbooks and papers that I don't understand why Mathematica doesn't allow them.
> 
> Of course, x' represents a derivative, but there is a prime character that can be obtained by esc ' esc or by \[Prime]. 
> 
> x\[Prime] // Head
> Symbol
> 
> But the problem is that the \[Prime] character is not raised but sits at the same level as x. It would be much better if the \[Prime] character were raised to the normal level to give better looking expressions. I admit that there could be some visual confusion, but not Mathematica confusion, with derivatives, but it would usually be clear from context.
> 
> I wish that WRI would fix the Prime, DoublePrime, ReversePrime and ReverseDoublePrime characters so they displayed at the correct vertical level in expressions.
> 
> David Park
> djmp at earthlink.net
> http://home.earthlink.net/~djmp/ 
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Murray Eisenberg                     murray at math.umass.edu
Mathematics & Statistics Dept.
Lederle Graduate Research Tower      phone 413 549-1020 (H)
University of Massachusetts                413 545-2859 (W)
710 North Pleasant Street            fax   413 545-1801
Amherst, MA 01003-9305

• References:
  • Primed Variables in Mathematica
    • From: "David Park" <djmp@earthlink.net>