factorial symbol, contractions

[rsherwood12]

Hi Cindi,

I am transcribing a document in UEB, using the UEB technical guidelines, with a list of various keyboard shortcuts for using the Windows calculator program. I have a few questions:

1) One item uses the factorial symbol:

Select n! in Scientific mode

From the Guidelines for Technical Material 1.2.1: "A letter, or unbroken sequence of letters is `standing alone` if the symbols before and after the letter or sequence are spaces, hyphens, dashes, or any combination, or if on both sides the only intervening symbols between the letter or sequence and the space, hyphen or dash are common literary punctuation or indicator symbols."

Does the exclamation point "count" as common literary punctuation in this context, so that the "n" is considered standing alone? Or is it considered a technical symbol?

;n6
or
n6

2) Would contractions be used in technical words?

Select cosh in Scientific mode
Select sinh in Scientific mode
Select DWORD in Programmer mode
Select WORD in Programmer mode

I believe cosh is actually pronounced like one syllable "cosh", not "cos-h", if that makes a difference.

3) The following refers to the y root of x:

Select y√x in Scientific mode

Although there is no vinculum in print, and the y is not in the normal position for the index of a radical, would this be transcribed ;;%9yx+?

4) There were several instances where the preparer of the Word document did not place things in superscript position the way they actually appear in the calculator program (they used sin-1 versus sin with a superscript -1), and I am trying to decide whether to follow the Word document, or the symbol they were trying to represent. Do you have any suggestions?

Thanks,
Rebecca

[claurent]

1) no letter sign is required. This is a factorial sign not common punctuation.

2) Contractions may be used. See 9.3.3 of the Guidelines for Technical Materials.

3) You are correct in your transcription.

4) It may be that the person who prepared the Word doc did not have a math program (Math Type) to type the superscript properly. We are told to follow print but in this case I think I would transcribe it as it should be represented...use the superscripts.

Cindi

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