Because I study mathematics at a British university I am starting to notice that the British insist on doing things their -own- way as much in mathematics as they do in general. I am not judging this, but it fits the pattern, i.e. traffic, currency, etc.
It is just that I thought mathematicians would be -wiser-. Wiser, how ignorant of me, how can I possibly understand the essence of 'being British'? I can't, of course.
Let me give two ( recent ) examples.
#1
An Open University forum moderator switching to UPPERCASE in reply to my mentioning that permutations are applied from left to right in default GAP while the only correct way is the British right-to-left. ( Going uppercase is about the rudest imaginable attitude known in internet etiquette and as you can imagine I was flabbergasted. )
#2
A note in a book published by the American Mathematical Society written by an English mathematician. I quote:
"Readers who prefer this convention should read this book upside down in a mirror."
He referred to a generally accepted style of notation in continental Europe. My jaws dropped. This wasn't meant as a joke.
P.S.
;-) !
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