[Tugindia] different shaped brackets

[Shrisha Rao]

El nov 1, 2010, a las 6:07 p.m., David Owen escribió:

> Dear Everyone,
> I have a little problem:
> Is it a good typing style to always have DIFFERENT shaped brackets in
> mathematical equations involving several bracketed expressions? For example,
> is good to write:
> 1)    ( {[a+b+c](g-p)}+j)(d-n+x) = y
> 
> or
> 
> 2)  ( ((a+b+c)(g-p))+j)(d-n+x) = y, where some brackets may be larger than
> others?
> 
> That is, is it a good style to mix the brackets or to use one type of
> bracket, some of which may be larger than others?

I am not aware that there is a written rule about this, but I would (based on what little mathematics I have seen) not mix different types of brackets just on a whim.  Brackets have special meanings in other contexts as you know: {x,y} is a set, whilst (x,y) is probably an ordered pair or the range of all values i where x < i < y.  If you are creating some appropriate notational standard (something not in conflict with any widely-used one) that a particular type of bracket means something specific in your work, it is okay, but mixing different types of brackets with no meanings attached may cause confusion or problems with consistency of usage.  Thus or otherwise, you may find reviewers not liking such mixing.

Regards,

Shrisha Rao

> Thanking you all,
> D.O.
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