• @[email protected]
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    562 years ago

    in programming, and in mathematics, it’s always been weird to me that frequently paired variables are basically the most easily confused for one another pairs, especially when written quickly or sloppily.

    • i and j
    • x and y
    • m and n
    • Eager Eagle
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      232 years ago

      exactly, this is so annoying. I don’t know by first-hand experience, but I also think p and q are confusing for dyslexic people.

      • @[email protected]
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        92 years ago

        i knew i was forgetting some other common pairings, thank you. p/q and u/v always bugged me too.

        • @[email protected]
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          62 years ago

          u and v were so difficult for me to differentiate in handwriting. My handwriting is not that pretty and the difference between a round bottom and a sharp bottom is not that big when stressed in an exam.

      • @BleatingZombie
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        52 years ago

        I’m not dyslexic, but I always had to write P and Q capitalized on my truth tables to not absent-mindedly get them switched

      • @[email protected]
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        42 years ago

        Interesting footnote about p and q. You see them turn up on formal logic proofs (for philosophy)

      • Oliver Lowe
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        12 years ago

        When travelling in places where Latin script is not official (e.g. Middle East, Asia), I notice many mix-ups of p q and b. I always wondered how this would impact their ability to learn to program.

    • @affiliate
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      42 years ago

      the worst is when you have to deal with v and ν (greek “nu”). add in the wedge symbol ∨ and things can get painful.

        • @affiliate
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          2 years ago

          another great argument against is the greek question mark, which lets you write the following beautiful loop:

          for (int ;=0;;<∧;;++)

        • @affiliate
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          22 years ago

          to make a contrived example on the internet