From: Julian Bradfield (jcb+unicode@inf.ed.ac.uk)
Date: Wed Apr 13 2011 - 06:34:36 CDT
>The principle for adding the mathematical styles is that they can be
>used side-by-side (i.e., the same letter) in the same text but with
>different semantic meaning.
>
>Is that what you do with Fraktur and Old English typefaces?
I'm not saying I do do it, or even that I've ever seen it. Just that
there is no general principle of notation that says you can't do
it. Probably the only reason I haven't seen it is that LaTeX doesn't
have an Old English font installed by default.
>There was a similar discussion with the script styles. AMS Fonts use
>a different style than the one used in Europe which is based on
>English script, originally a handwriting style, still taught today in
>Sweden (I think). But in the end, only one script style was added.
TeX has messed this up rather. In the good old days, "script" letters
in printed mathematics were (almost?) invariably in the 18th century
pointed-nib "copperplate" style, as widely used on wedding
invitations. But Knuth didn't make such a font, so TeX (and then
LaTeX) using mathematicians starting using his "calligraphic"
(broad-edged pen script) letters instead.
Personally, whenever I have control, I use a real copperplate for
traditionally "script" contexts. But I have occasionally used both
copperplate and \mathcal in the same document, with different
meanings.
Basically, a mathematician in search of a distinction will freely
take advantage of whatever's there.
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