Talk:Obelus

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Mathematics

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What is the difference?

@Red Slash: is there really a difference with Obelism? If so, could you precise it in an hatnote? Veverve (talk) 23:26, 22 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

You don't understand the difference between (1) the process of copyediting manuscripts by marking them up and (2) a glyph in the form of a bar surrounded by two dots? How are those two things even close to the same? Also, was it really necessary for you to verb "precise"? —David Eppstein (talk) 00:43, 23 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

The symbol '÷' is NOT the officially recognized symbol that mathematicians are using for division! Strictly speaking mathematicians recognize only the symbol '/' as the symbol for division!

In 1923 the National Committee on Mathematical Requirements voiced the following opinion:

"Since neither ÷ nor :, as signs of division plays any part in business life, it seems proper to consider only the needs of algebra, and to make more use of the fractional form and (where meaning is clear) of the symbol /, and to drop the symbol ÷ in writing algebraic expressions."

This renders the entire article as 'folklore' that has nothing to do with officially recognized mathematical symbols. This article needs to be explicitly marked as 'folklore'.Ksidirop (talk) 18:00, 10 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Nothing in the article says that it is "the officially recognised symbol". It merely says that it is used as such (see for example "Math Words". Math Words Alphabetical Index. p. 7. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved August 26, 2011. and "Division". www.mathsisfun.com. Retrieved 2020-08-26. ). Here and at Division sign, we say explicitly that its use is deprecated in favour of the solidus (/). Wikipedia records what exists, not what should exist. We are not here to wp:right great wrongs.

Just to be clear, the symbol ÷ was in existence and in use long before it was coopted by mathematicians. It was and is called an obelus, which is the subject of this article. -𝕁𝕄𝔽 (talk) 18:52, 10 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]