I always use x, I don't know why
I even write xxy
It's so confusing, but I guess examiners are used to it
Here's my guess (I don't actually know, but this seems logical):
It used to be "2 cross 3", like "two by three" or whatnot. Since a vertical/horizontal cross (+) was already used for addition, they used a diagonal cross (x).
The multiplication cross is smaller than the lower-case x.
The lower-case x is drawn like the diagonals of a square. The upper-case X is taller than it's wide.
The upper-case chi has a curved left-diagonal (a bit like an inverted integral) and is the same size as a capital X. The lower-case chi has a curved left-diagonal and its top is aligned with the smaller-case x, but extends below it.
[img]http://img860.imageshack.us/img860/678/crosses.png[/img]
[editline]20th April 2011[/editline]
Inaccuracies in the image are caused by drawing with a mouse
I don't even use the dot anymore, I just put them together with parenthesis.
XxX=X^2
Doesnt really make sense
I still use x in calculations without variables.
In my working I use x and when I have my final answer I get rid of them completely.
In Belgium we use cursive for everything... I don't get it, what's the alternative? Block letters? (that writes really slow)
[editline]20th April 2011[/editline]
The x is even more confusing when you start having things like cross products
Print, block letters, etc.
[QUOTE=Jo The Shmo;29320338]In elementary school, we started off learning that 3 x 9 is how you multiply 3 by 9.
I understand why we can't use x later on, because x is also a common variable, so we switched to • instead.
But why the fuck did we learn x in the first place? Couldn't we learn to use • or * from the beginning?
Same goes for that weird division symbol (÷). I haven't used that since elementary school, instead I just use 3/9.
Another thing I don't understand is why we learn cursive. Once I learned it, I had to write everything in cursive all the time. Until I reached middle school, and since then I have never used cursive since. What's the point of learning it then?
I went to half of elementary school in Finland, and the other half in the US, so I assume a good amount of the western world does things this way, but I could be wrong.
[B]tl;dr:[/b] Who cares[/QUOTE]
to help you in your future
to make it easier for children. kids are kind of dumb, no use pretending they aren't, and their writing is pretty messy until about 12, even for girls. so a ' • ' could look very much like a ' . ', which would lead to a world of hurt
Block Capitals are the future.
I have never used •, I always use x when writing or * when typing onto windows calculator
[QUOTE=Jo The Shmo;29320338]In elementary school, we started off learning that 3 x 9 is how you multiply 3 by 9.
I understand why we can't use x later on, because x is also a common variable, so we switched to • instead.
But why the fuck did we learn x in the first place? Couldn't we learn to use • or * from the beginning?
Same goes for that weird division symbol (÷). I haven't used that since elementary school, instead I just use 3/9.
Another thing I don't understand is why we learn cursive. Once I learned it, I had to write everything in cursive all the time. Until I reached middle school, and since then I have never used cursive since. What's the point of learning it then?
I went to half of elementary school in Finland, and the other half in the US, so I assume a good amount of the western world does things this way, but I could be wrong.
[B]tl;dr:[/b] Who cares[/QUOTE]
Well, we were never taught with x as multiplication, it was always the dot.
Cursive was one of the best things that happened to me, because I can actually write every note without falling behind in class, sure it's a little hard to read because my writing is bad as hell, but still, it can also look cool for letters.
Probably the same reason I was taught "'I' before 'E' except after 'C'", which at the time was right for my reading level (lower elementary) but is glaringly wrong for most words now.
[QUOTE=Jo The Shmo;29320338]In elementary school, we started off learning that 3 x 9 is how you multiply 3 by 9.
I understand why we can't use x later on, because x is also a common variable, so we switched to • instead.
But why the fuck did we learn x in the first place? Couldn't we learn to use • or * from the beginning?
Same goes for that weird division symbol (÷). I haven't used that since elementary school, instead I just use 3/9.
Another thing I don't understand is why we learn cursive. Once I learned it, I had to write everything in cursive all the time. Until I reached middle school, and since then I have never used cursive since. What's the point of learning it then?
I went to half of elementary school in Finland, and the other half in the US, so I assume a good amount of the western world does things this way, but I could be wrong.
[B]tl;dr:[/b] Who cares[/QUOTE]
I always find writing divisions as ÷ easier to understand (also written as :). using a slash confuses me with parts or whatever it's called. 1/4 for example, can mean two things to me. 1 of 4 or 1÷4.
[QUOTE=sami-elite;29321555]I always find writing divisions as ÷ easier to understand (also written as :). using a slash confuses me with parts or whatever it's called. 1/4 for example, can mean two things to me. 1 of 4 or 1÷4.[/QUOTE]
1 of 4 and 1÷4 are the same.
I've not been taught any way to to multiplication rather than x. Admittedly when using variables we so often use brackets (which don't require the x) that we rarely use it any more, but I have been taught the opposite of the OP, we use x for multiplication and a curved X for the variable. And for the division we always show it as fractional set-up and occasionally the actual sign.
Examples:
[img]http://gyazo.com/30af52b951dd479b9e5cf5fbf381d3c7.png[/img]
[QUOTE=sami-elite;29321555]I always find writing divisions as ÷ easier to understand (also written as :). using a slash confuses me with parts or whatever it's called. 1/4 for example, can mean two things to me. 1 of 4 or 1÷4.[/QUOTE]
1 of 4 and 1 ÷ 4 are the same thing.
Gah! How have I never seen "the dot" before? Ever?
x×x
Problem sort of solved
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;29320549]I don't know but x comes back as the cross product so it's even more confusing.[/QUOTE]
• comes back as the dot product as well which confused me to hell at first, which is why I just use parenthesis and brackets.
I always use x just used to it doesn't matter as long as you use the Greek x to represent variables anyway.
But I have to agree using . or * makes a lot more sense.
[QUOTE=Kingy_why;29321598]1 of 4 and 1÷4 are the same.[/QUOTE]
Why did they never tell me this. Fuck.
I feel so stupid :v:
No idea. It's fucking stupid * all the way.
I've never write multiplication as *, unless I'm using a virtual calculator.
• and * are used in different cases and don't mean the same thing when dealing with vectors and matrices.
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/7/8/7/787bc8a894abfa4a37ec49fe2e372c2a.png[/img]
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot_product[/url]
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/3/6/5/365374e65f60021b6ec98902bc706dae.png[/img]
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrix_multiplication[/url]
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;29320568]Not as widely used? I never use x to represent multiplication anymore. In fact, after about 6th grade or so you should never use it again.[/QUOTE]
You use a dot for scientific notation?
Or are you one of those weird people that uses E
[QUOTE=Timebomb575;29321949]You use a dot for scientific notation?
Or are you one of those weird people that uses E[/QUOTE]
There is nothing wrong with E!
[editline]20th April 2011[/editline]
The channel or the notation
Regardless, not really an issue because you're never going to have a variable in scientific notation. It's a block of numbers with a completely standardized format.
I've never used x, always •
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.