style police: degree, deg., 0??

annr

annr

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OK, readers out there, bastion of taste and style.

When you read a book dealing with geometry, lots of angles in the text and illustrations, what do you like to see? (Classiest? Easiest to follow? Matters not a whit?)

20 degrees
20-degree
20 deg.
20 0(superscript)

Or some other suggestion?
 
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Mathematical notation works like Chinese writing: the characters stand for ideas which the mind expects to receive and process as ideas, not as alphabetic elements to be formed into words to be understood as ideas.

By spelling out "degrees" you introduce an unnecessary additional step in the thought process.

This is similar to the process that gives us compound terms which unify formerly independent elements.

For example, the President lives in a white house which is known as The White House. Ignoring the similar spelling, notice the stress in the first version is equally on white and house. But in the second version, the stress is distinctly on White. White House has become a single term.

Compare this to a more thoroughly assimilated adjective-noun term. Originally sales man it is now salesman. Instead of equal stress on both elements, the stress is now only on one syllable, the same as if the word had become seller.
 
For math writting, use the superscripted o for angles measured in degrees. This is necessary because those numbers are dramatically different than other numbers.

In scientific writting, for temperatures the modern way is to not use the superscripted o at all but to treat temperature as any other unit of measure. you don't say, "The length of object X is 123.3 degrees meters," so don't say, "The temperature of object X is 123.3 degrees Celsius," either; instead, just as you say, "The length of object X is 123.3m," also say, "The temperature of object X is 123.3C." Celsius is a unit just as meters is.

For popular writtting, spell out the word degree; use no dash. Write, "The high today was 102 degrees, but it was a dry heat." And, "Cut the end of this piece at 45 degrees."
 
Thanks to you all. I am going to go with the superscript. It has a few added benefits: being both singular and plural AND using fewer characters AND not as likely to break at ends of lines.

Interestingly, I perused several books of the same ilk and the style ran the gamut. Even when books were written by engineers the superscript was not the norm. I do like the superscript and we are unanimous.:)
 
Gollnick said:
For math writting, use the superscripted o for angles measured in degrees. This is necessary because those numbers are dramatically different than other numbers.

In scientific writing, for temperatures the modern way is to not use the superscripted o at all but to treat temperature as any other unit of measure. you don't say, "The length of object X is 123.3 degrees meters," so don't say, "The temperature of object X is 123.3 degrees Celsius," either; instead, just as you say, "The length of object X is 123.3m," also say, "The temperature of object X is 123.3C." Celsius is a unit just as meters is.

For popular writing, spell out the word degree; use no dash. Write, "The high today was 102 degrees, but it was a dry heat." And, "Cut the end of this piece at 45 degrees."
Click to expand...

Agreed. 20 0(superscript) if a math/tech book. The easiest way to get your point across and the simplest to use if on a diagram if space is a problem like in a geometry textbook.

My BS is in Applied Math, I've seen a few math books in my day. :D
 
I found my Chicago Manual of Style, the opening to the chapter 'Mathematics in Type':

" Mathematics is known in the printing trade as difficult, or penalty copy[italics theirs] because it is slower, more difficult, and more expensive to set in type than any other kind of copy normally occurring in books and journals."

This edition came out in '82 so there may be easier ways of doing things, but some of the 'difficult expressions' look like they could still lead to hair loss. Anyway, spells expensive.
 
Howdy,
I prefer 20°.

Note: if you hold down the alt key while typing 248 on the number pad, ° will appear when you let up on the alt key. It's an old DOS shortcut that still works in Windows.
 
annr said:
Interestingly, I perused several books of the same ilk and the style ran the gamut. Even when books were written by engineers the superscript was not the norm. I do like the superscript and we are unanimous.:)
Click to expand...

You're writing like a technical writer too. Now I know who wrote the instructions for my remote control :D
 
knarfeng said:
Howdy,
I prefer 20°.

Note: if you hold down the alt key while typing 248 on the number pad, ° will appear when you let up on the alt key. It's an old DOS shortcut that still works in Windows.
Click to expand...

Alt 0176 does the same. Go to the Windows Character Map and click on a letter or symbol. In the lower right corner it will tell you what the Alt+keystroke is if available.

Just my 2¢ (Alt 0162) ;)
 
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