[kdejute]

Thank you for your thoughtful question.

I think the best suggestion I can give is to use dots 456 for vertical lines that separate columns in a division arrangement. Pages 13–29 through 13–40 of the Provisional Revised Nemeth Course Manual, posted by NFB will give you more tools to transcribe your children's material from print.

I do believe that Provisional course is a great tool for you to become informed about the Nemeth Code in preparation for your oldest moving into HS. As you study through it, please allow yourself time and regular breaks from studying; it's a dense book.

We look forward to getting more questions from you as you continue your journey.

–Kyle

[kdejute]

Good day, Tung:

Thank you for the questions and the example.

First, yes, you do need blank lines around systems of equations, even if they are itemized.

Your transcription (including alignment) is readable and practical as far as I can tell.

Technically, the transcription attached to this message follows the Guidance for Transcription Using the Nemeth Code within UEB Contexts more closely, because it places in cell 1 the opening Nemeth Code indicator that will not fit on a line with text preceding spatial material, and it places on a line by itself in cell 1 after a blank line the Nemeth Code terminator following spatial material.

–Kyle

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[kdejute]

Thank you for your questions.

1. Second and subsequent paragraphs of instructions may be formatted in 5-3.
2. Margins for line 1 and line 25 are determined individually for each braille page. Still, a running head must be composed so that it will fit (including the required 3 blank cells between end of running head and beginning of page number) on a line with any print page number that occurs in the transcription (including combined print page numbers and even lettered continuations of combined page numbers).

–Kyle

[kdejute]

G'day, Rebecca!

Thank you for the questions.

1. Labels for displayed mathematical items should be included in the Nemeth "bubble" for the math item(s). In Example 1, I would place the opening Nemeth Code indicator after the end of text. Then I would insert the blank line and then the label, followed by the system of equations (with no blank line between the label and the system of equations).
2. It does seem that Example 1's and Example 2's equations' terms are aligned in print. In Example 1, the way you've aligned the first parts of each equation and then run over before the equals is what I would do.
3. I believe your treatment of print's vertical ellipsis in Example 1 is appropriate and will not mislead the student.
4. Your treatment of the colon is appropriate. "E sub 1", "E sub 2", and "E sub n" seem to be labels for "Equation 1:", "Equation 2:", and "Equation n:".
5. I wouldn't change a thing about your placement of the Nemeth Code terminator and the period at the end of "E sub n" in Example 1. The Guidance does say that the terminator must be placed on a line by itself.
6. Your alignment of the system of equations in Example 2 is almost perfect; the "x sub 4" in the first equation needs to be moved four cells to the right.
7. In Example 3, the first pair of vertical ellipses (in the system of equations) seems just to be print getting fancy and trying to foreshadow the ellipses in the matrices that follow. I would transcribe this pair of vertical ellipses as you transcribed the ellipsis in Example 1 (a series of three dot threes beginning in the cell for displayed material).
8. Example 3's vertical dotted line does seem to be a great candidate for a tactile graphic. I do not believe it is a mathematical sign at all.
9. I think the diagonal dotted lines (all consisting of more than the three dots of an ellipsis) are also not so much mathematical as gestural and so would be best represented with tactile lines.

Again, thank you for your questions. Please do let me know if you have concerns following on this.

Cheers!
–Kyle

[kdejute]

Thank you for the questions, James.

First, the effect of an opening Nemeth Code indicator continues until it is terminated by a Nemeth Code terminator. A braille page break does NOT end the effect of an opening Nemeth Code indicator.

Second, it is alright to include your variables in italicized passages. Part of the intent of the Nemeth Code rule to ignore typeface for variables is to cut down on typeform switches. For both of your print examples, your first proposed transcription treats typeforms and variables correctly.

Last but not least, I suspect that "dist" in dist(A, B)  is an abbreviated function name, and so in braille a space should be inserted between "dist" and its argument "(A, B)".

Thank you for your time and attention!
–Kyle

[kdejute]

Angela,

Thank you for your question. Your confusion is understandable. Please take the following as your guide.

SYMBOLS for the chemical elements require a switch to Nemeth Code. Follow Nemeth Code rules regarding use of the English letter indicator. (See Sections 25-30 of the Nemeth Code for the definition of "single letter" and rules regarding use of the English letter indicator.)

Using your examples,

H – Standing alone, a single capitalized letter does require an ELI. See NC Sec.25.a.v and 25.a.vi.
Exception: If H is standing alone within a spatial or tactile molecular structure, the ELI is not used.
(When not standing alone, such as within a chemical formula such as H₂O, the ELI is not used.)

(H) – No ELI because the letter is preceded and followed by a sign grouping. See NC Sec.28.a.

Al, Fr, Ag – No ELI because a letter combination that is the same as a shortform does not need an ELI when the first letter is capitalized. See NC Sec.25.b.ii.

Example 1 in "Provisional Guidance for Chemistry Notation Using Nemeth in UEB Contexts" clarifies:
"The symbol for carbon is C; for silver, Ag; and for bromine, Br."
C, Ag, and Br each require a switch to Nemeth Code.
C needs an ELI
Ag does not need an ELI
Br does not need an ELI

Regarding the Periodic table, NC Sec.30 says "When letters appear in tables, whether as entries or headings, the English-letter indicator must be used or must not be used in accordance with the rules contained in §§26-28." In other words, an ELI is needed for single-letter chemical elements in a table.

–Lindy and Kyle

Please do let us know if you have follow-up questions.

[kdejute]

Anita, are you asking about a transcription using Nemeth Code within a UEB context? If so, then any mathematical symbols must be within Nemeth Code switch indicators, and a dot locator (which is a UEB tool) would not be appropriate or necessary.

If you're asking about a transcription using ONLY UEB (and no Nemeth Code), then you still probably do not need any dot locator symbols. Though, it's possible you could need a dot locator for use in front of "a braille symbol which has only lower dots and which is isolated from other text" – see Rules of UEB section 3.14.1. (The dot locator for mention is designed for symbols lists, transcriber's notes and publications about braille; see Rules of UEB section 3.13.1.)

Thank you for the question!
–Kyle

• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by kdejute. Reason: correction: "dot locator FOR MENTION" is designed for symbols lists, transcriber's notes and publications about braille
• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by Chris Clemens.

[kdejute]

The format for a formal proof is determined by the Nemeth Code. However, even within a statement/reason proof, only technical material belongs in "Nemeth bubbles."

See Lesson 12 of the Provisional Revised Nemeth Course Manual, posted by NFB for some examples. In particular, see pages 12–30 (for a sample transcription) and page 12–29 (for a sample transcriber's note).

Thank you for the question!
–Kyle

[kdejute]

Thank you for the example. I appreciate what you are trying to do in your proposed transcription. Please let me suggest the alternative shown in the attached image. In that alternative, I have:

1. indicated that the first Tens column is blank and *not* blank-to-be-filled-in, because zero tens and seventeen ones *does* equal the number 17.
2. placed the numbers and the equals signs that make up the equation all on the same braille line.
3. kept the column headings on a line separate from the equation whose parts they label.
4. placed the opening Nemeth Code indicator as well as the Nemeth Code terminator on lines by themselves around the "table."

Please do let me know if you have follow-up questions or concerns.

–Kyle

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[kdejute]

Greetings, Carmen! Thank you for your question.

The "k any integer" is a constraint to the expression x−2kπ. Although the constraint is mathematically necessary to the full definition of the expression, it does not technically belong inside Nemeth Code switch indicators.

–Kyle

[kdejute]

Thank you for the question, Russell.

The letter grades in your example DO NOT need English Letter indicators when they are immediately followed by a symbol of operation; the letter grades in your example DO need English Letter indicators when they are "single letters" (without a sign of operation). [See section 25 of the Nemeth Code.]

For each letter-operation-sign-apostrophe-s sequence, the punctuation indicator should precede the apostrophe and the sequence should be punctuated mathematically; for each letter-apostrophe-s sequence, no mathematical punctuation is necessary. See section 27.e of the Nemeth Code for some relevant examples. The attached image contains a suggested transcription for the portion of the text you asked about.

Thank you for your time and attention.
–Kyle

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[kdejute]

Good day, Fred:

Thank you for the question. Let’s look at the three parts of your sample document:

1. Should computer code numbers be in Nemeth Code (e.g., G40, G42, etc.)? No, I would not put these codes in Nemeth switch indicators.
2. Should equations be in Nemeth Code? Yes (including “PITCH = 1/Threads per inch”, “1.0 divided by 8 TPI = .125”, “(1.500-.75)/2 = .375”). I agree that “Z-Axis” does not require Nemeth Code; it is not a math expression.
3. Should [line-by-line] computer code be in Nemeth Code? The Guidance for Transcription Using the Nemeth Code within UEB Contexts is not designed to address computer code. UEB is equipped to handle computer notation (See Guidelines for Technical Material, section 17). I would use UEB for computer notation like this.

Thank you again for your thoughtful questions. Please let me know if you have follow-up concerns.

–Kyle

[kdejute]

Since Nemeth Code gives a specific definition of and format for instructions, I would say 5-3, with or without bullets retained, is the correct format for your example.

Thank you for the question!

—Kyle

[kdejute]

I am glad to be able to provide some input.

I think you might have neglected to remove highlighting from commas in the second set of examples (I acknowledge that this could be a file version issue).

The new example problem is exactly in line with what I suggested.

I'm not at all adamant about the two highlighting colors. I used separate colors for initial and for secondary highlighting mostly for the sake of our discussion, which has been fun.

Thank you!
–Kyle

[kdejute]

Shelley,

Thank you for tapping this Ask an Expert resource to ask about your training materials. Overall, your examples are correct. I have attached a DOCX file that includes slightly different  highlighting than yours as well as commentary (accessed under the Review tab in WORD).

You may consider including an example item (let's call it item #99) that is all Nemeth material and occurs following an item that ends in UEB and another item that begins with Nemeth material. In such an example item, the opening Nemeth Code indicator would best be placed following the item identifier (99.), and Nemeth mode would be left in effect through the end of item #99 and through item identifier 100. This could serve to reinforce your well-stated point that in linear math, nothing gets between an item identifier and its margin.

Thank you again for sharing your process.

–Kyle

 

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