how is this read? p1 p2 p3 p4

matgen

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Sep 22, 2018
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hi im trying to figure out this problem im having. I can tell the number at the top means square but I don't know what the number at the bottom means... ie..

p1 p2 p3 p4

now square is obviously

p1 p2 p3 p4

and this is without the problem

p1 p2 p3 p4

thanks
 
hi im trying to figure out this problem im having. I can tell the number at the top means square but I don't know what the number at the bottom means... ie..

p1 p2 p3 p4

now square is obviously

p1 p2 p3 p4

and this is without the problem

p1 p2 p3 p4

thanks

"square" No. That's only if it's a 2.

Vocabulary Words:
1) Exponent
2) Subscript

In actuarial notation, they mean about 10 other things, but this is a good start.
 
so how is it read

p1 p2 p3

how is it read with the small numbers at the bottom

is it ..

p base 1 p base 2 p base 3
 
Raised numbers are superscripts:

p0 , p1 , p2 , p3 , p4

Lowered numbers are subscripts:

x1 , x2 , x3 , x4

In arithmetic and beginning algebra, superscripted numbers are exponents:

p2 is "p squared"

p3 is "p cubed"

p4 is "4th power of p"

After introductory algebra, we see superscripts used for other purposes.

Subscripts are often used to distinguish items in a list from one another, according to some definition. This notation usually beings with algebra, but you can find examples elsewhere -- even outside of math.

A local hospital has multiple wings on most floors, and some executive decided to use the same room numbers in each wing:

3561 means Room 56 Bed 1, on the third floor of the main wing

E3562 means Room 56 Bed 2, on the third floor of the east wing

N3564 means Room 56 Bed 4, on the third floor of the north wing

An example of subscript use in algebra is using symbols to represent values in a sequence (i.e., a list of ordered numbers). Here's one: powers of 2, begining with 21:

P = {2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, …}

P4 represents the fourth number in the list (the 4th power of 2), so we can write

P4 = 16

P10 = 1024

Given P = 65536, you know it's a power of 2 but it's not clear which one.

Using symbol P16 makes it clear that 65536 is 216.

We can also show superscripts and subscripts without special characters or formatting commands.

We use the caret symbol ^ and an underscore _ .

P_16 = 2^16 = 65536

By the way, when I see notation like {P1, P2, P3} I think of subscripts. 8-)
 
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