Sine of the times.

[johnb]

(06-12-2024 08:58 PM)Nigel (UK) Wrote:  Gauss found this odious, because he felt that \(\sin^2(x)\) should mean \(\sin(\sin(x))\) (and he has a point!) but since the repeated sine is used so rarely this isn't an issue in practice.

(Added) Just to confuse things, \(\sin^{-1}x\) means the inverse sine of \(x\), not \(1/\sin(x)\)!

Mathematician Kenneth Iverson also balked at these inconsistencies in math notation, and sought to fix it once and for all.

APL was the result.


"Be careful what you wish for: you may get it..."