Dear Developers of the Semantic Math Approaches,

I am stepping back a bit about the content-discussion, I think we've gone too far: Allow me to doubt about the intent "K14" for the MathML content symbol descriptions. It is probably a nice dream but is, to my taste, not realistic and not useful.

If you consider the population sample, only the native english- speaking people would be able to make use of it, most others really don't know that, for example, lcm is what they think about. Another example: I did not know of the meaning of branch-cut before actually starting with OpenMath (although having studied math till PhD level partially at McGill University)

K14 is, of course, extremely different depending on the country you are in and the course of studies you are in; it is almost impossible to select the appropriate language without referencing outside concepts. Abramovitz and Stegun are not the most readable thing you can make and certainly not one that is super widespread in Europe (e.g. can't find it at Fnac.fr) but it's well defined. Targetting K14 would really mean going pedagogic and reference more accessible and explaining sources (e.g. MathWorld or Wikipedia).

I had always understood the K12 or K14 target of MathML3 as being "the set of symbols corresponds to these that one would commonly accept at a person that has about 14 years of learning in his or her life". That is, to my taste, is acceptable but very different.

As for the OpenMath CDs or MathML chapter 4 descriptions, I just feel they need to be minimal enough to be interoperable. This is what I can see in the current OpenMath CDs, maybe this can be enhanced a bit but not under the perspective of a joe-bo-student-that-is-starting-at-the- university.

paul

PS: sorry, I am currently cross-posting to [email protected] and [EMAIL 
PROTECTED]
PPS: internationalization of the CDs-description sounds a very brave mission and one that I would support!

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