this post was submitted on 07 Apr 2025
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I don't get the significance. How should the formula be represented?
Most mathematicians, engineers, and scientists don’t use the asterisk symbol for multiplication. Most don’t write any symbol as it’s implicit. If they do use a symbol they would use a dot or x symbol (though never an actual x). In mathematics, the asterisk is mostly only used to represent convolutions.
Most common:
abc
Less common:
a • b • c
a × b × c
Never:
a * b * c
While to most people this doesn’t really matter (and should feel free using * for multiplication). It shows someone with minimal formal experience in mathematics using this formula
Yeah, asterisk to indicate multiplication is much, much more common amongst coders.
... And script kiddie DOGE interns.
When I went to college the dot was used for the dot product (scalar product) of two vectors while the cross was used for the cross product (vector product) of two vectors.
Since in this case numbers (read: one-dimensional vectors) are multiplied, the dot product is used, which should be denoted by a dot.
(But really, if I were to write a formula in Latex I would just use the * symbol, too.)
What if it's a convolution though 🤔
I would love to explain, but it's pretty convoluted
I think this is true ONLY in formal writing, which this document clearly intends to be despite it's complete inanity. Asterisks are used in computer code for multiplication and shorthand messages/emails all the time. Not many scientists/engineers/mathematicians out there that can't write at least an excel formula
I don't know, to me a * b * c is basically just the exact same as a • b • c but just easier to type on a computer. If you were writing it down on paper or a black board they would probably use dots. Coding often uses * because who wants to type in those dots would be a pain in the ass and the * basically looks the closest to a dot.
But they weren't just "typing it on a computer", they were typesetting it in latex, and trying to make it look grandiose. But they just showed to everyone in the know that they don't know what they're doing.
The only times anyone would use the asterisk as multiplication symbol are
\timesin LaTex), so they just use the asterisk insteadThe US government falls in the second category.
there is a third case:
Or me, doing math for school and being too lazy to type /cdot every time
Basically what other people in the comments are saying, but here is a video Matt Parker explaining it: https://youtu.be/j04IAbWCszg?t=461
With the × Unicode character: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiplication_sign
Just guessing but real mathematicians would know how to properly build the formula. I guess in higher maths we use the 'x' rather than '*'.
Not a big deal but may show that the people doing it have no idea what they are doing.
Typically you'd use either nothing (just put the symbols next to each other) or in cases where that would be unclear, you'd use the centered dot ⋅
There really isn't any. It's just a huge nitpick. * is commonly used for multiplication, especially in online contexts in order to avoid confusing multiplication with the letter x when wider symbols aren't available.
no one who would have any experience in the field would write it like that.
it's just a sign that the people who did it have no idea what they are doing.
We're in no shortage of those signs