[Om3] target K14 for reading content-math spec any realistic?

[Paul Libbrecht]

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 om3 at openmath.org and member-math at w3.org
PPS: internationalization of the CDs-description sounds a very brave  
mission and one that I would support!
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