How do I make exponents and Greek letters?

[Relmuis]

Occosionally I like to use a formula, but there are some symbols which I do not know how to make with the editor. And I know it is possible, because I see these symbols in other posts.

Some symbols I would like to use and don't know how to make are: exponents, indices, the square root sign, Greek letters, the integral sign, the inverted delta (or nabla) sign, the Poincaré square sign and the curved d's (partial differentials).

[Nowhere Man]

Superscripts and subscripts are easy. Use the following codes

PHP Code:

[sup]super[/sup]script and [sub]sub[/sub]script


to produce ^superscript and _subscript.

I can't help with the special cahracters, though.

Fred

[HenrikOlsen]

Find the post using the symbols, use the Quote feature to get a copy of the text, then it's copy and paste.

[umop ap!sdn]

For the Greek letters, you can use Unicode characters in the following format:

&# (number) ;

They are in sequence: in the upper case, alpha is 913 and omega 937 (the gap is between rho and sigma - 930 only shows up as an empty box in my browser); in the lower case, the numbers are 945-969 with 2 different symbols for the sigma.

Thus, π = π

[01101001]

Originally Posted by HenrikOlsen

Find the post using the symbols, use the Quote feature to get a copy of the text, then it's copy and paste.

Like this:

= ≠

< ≤ ≥ >

+ - ÷ ×

² ³

⅓ ⅔ ⅛ ⅜ ⅝ ⅞ ¼ ½ ¾

√ ∞ ≡ ≈ ∫ ∩

← ↑ → ↓ ↔ ↕ ∙

Α Β Γ Δ Ε Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ Ν Ξ Ο Π Ρ Σ Τ Υ Φ Χ Ψ Ω

α β γ δ ε ζ η θ ι κ λ μ ν ξ ο π ρ ς σ τ υ φ χ ψ ω

[Nereid]

A general tip: open a blank Word document (assuming you have MS Word on your computer), insert the symbol of your choice (this is standard Word stuff), copy and paste it (ctrl-C, ctrl-V) into your post.

You might also want to write your post in Word, then copy&paste it into the BAUT window (avoids problems with losing your writing efforts, due to being logged off, browser problems, etc).

An example: € é ä Ж ∫

Of course, it doesn't always work (e.g.  - the 'belongs to' symbol, as in sets)

[sirius0]

Try ascii codes ß Γ π Θ.
Seems to work ⌠⌠ 'cept for that one (integration) All the greek is working!
This is my first attempt i will now go on and obsessivly check them all!

How to do.
Just get a list of ascii codes of the net or an old DOS book. When you want a greek letter look it up hold the Alt key while tapping in the number (numerical key pad only!) let go of the Alt Ω! Example capital theta "Alt+233 = Θ"

Occaisionally i have used this trick to include non keyboard characters in my passwords. This must be done with care though as some platforms wil put the wrong character in!

Σîrìuε

[umop ap!sdn]

Also doesn't work in all browsers. Alt+233 gives me a theta but when I go to preview it turns into a question mark. I'm using Opera 7.23, FTR, and the only way it will let me post is using the &# codes either without previewing or by copying the post to the clipboard before previewing.

~ουμοπ

[HenrikOlsen]

This sounds like you've configured it to force a character encoding other than iso-8859-1

[HenrikOlsen]

bump to get a useful thread back to front page

[Nereid]

Originally Posted by HenrikOlsen

bump to get a useful thread back to front page

No need; I just 'stickied' it!

[Kaptain K]

Would you have "stickied" it if it hacn't been bumped?

[umop ap!sdn]

Originally Posted by HenrikOlsen

This sounds like you've configured it to force a character encoding other than iso-8859-1

It was on auto select. I tried forcing it to iso-8859-1 and the theta still turned into a question mark. *shrug*

[Champion_Munch]

For a full list of weird characters and the like:

1. Click on Start
2. Select Run
3. Type in charmap
4. Hit Enter

From there you can select what you want, then click on copy and it will automatically be copied to the clipboard. To put it in a post, simply press Ctrl + V.

with regards

[Relmuis]

I tried, and it doesn't work on my computer.

The chart with symbols appears, and I can click them too, but they never get copied to my clipboard. (There's nothing on my clipboard; when I go to another program, paste is not highlighted.)

[Musashi]

Seems to work for me:
ڳ

[Relmuis]

I tried again, and now it does work after all.

ω

[Jorge]

how about on mac?

[TheBlackCat]

If you are using Firefox there is a handy extension called abcTajpu that gives handy right-click menu with a ton of special characters. Just click and it inserst them.

ÈԹЖقפ

I know there is an equivalent to "character map" on the mac, something-keyboard or something like that I think. At least there is keyboard in the name I think. It also tells you which key combinations will trigger a given character. It may take some work to find, check your applications folder.

[HenrikOlsen]

Lets see how many of these pastes correctly
∀∁∂∃∄∅∆∇∈∉∊∋∌∍∎∏∐∑−∓∔∕∖∗∘∙
√∛∜∝∞∟∠∡∢∣∤∥∦∧∨∩∪∫∬∭∮∯∰∱∲∳
∴∵∶∷∸∹∺∻∼∽∾∿
≀≁≂≃≄≅≆≇≈≉≊≋≌
≍≎≏≐≑≒≓≔≕≖≗≘≙≚≛≜≝≞≟
≠≡≢≣≤≥≦≧≨≩≪≫≬≭≮≯≰≱≲≳≴≵≶≷≸≹≺≻≼≽≾≿⊀⊁
⊂⊃⊄⊅⊆⊇⊈⊉⊊⊋⊌⊍⊎⊏⊐⊑⊒⊓⊔⊕⊖⊗⊘⊙⊚⊛⊜⊝⊞⊟⊠⊡
⊢⊣⊤⊥⊦⊧⊨⊩⊪⊫⊬⊭⊮⊯⊰⊱⊲⊳⊴⊵⊶⊷⊸⊹⊺⊻⊼⊽⊾⊿
⋀⋁⋂⋃⋄⋅⋆⋇⋈⋉⋊⋋⋌⋍⋎⋏⋐⋑⋒⋓⋔⋕⋖⋗⋘⋙
⋚⋛⋜⋝⋞⋟⋠⋡⋢⋣⋤⋥⋦⋧⋨⋩⋪⋫⋬⋭⋮⋯⋰⋱⋲⋳⋴⋵

Good
Copy/paste away

[nokton]

Originally Posted by HenrikOlsen

Lets see how many of these pastes correctly
∀∁∂∃∄∅∆∇∈∉∊∋∌∍∎∏∐∑−∓∔∕∖∗∘∙
√∛∜∝∞∟∠∡∢∣∤∥∦∧∨∩∪∫∬∭∮∯∰∱∲∳
∴∵∶∷∸∹∺∻∼∽∾∿
≀≁≂≃≄≅≆≇≈≉≊≋≌
≍≎≏≐≑≒≓≔≕≖≗≘≙≚≛≜≝≞≟
≠≡≢≣≤≥≦≧≨≩≪≫≬≭≮≯≰≱≲≳≴≵≶≷≸≹≺≻≼≽≾≿⊀⊁
⊂⊃⊄⊅⊆⊇⊈⊉⊊⊋⊌⊍⊎⊏⊐⊑⊒⊓⊔⊕⊖⊗⊘⊙⊚⊛⊜⊝⊞⊟⊠⊡
⊢⊣⊤⊥⊦⊧⊨⊩⊪⊫⊬⊭⊮⊯⊰⊱⊲⊳⊴⊵⊶⊷⊸⊹⊺⊻⊼⊽⊾⊿
⋀⋁⋂⋃⋄⋅⋆⋇⋈⋉⋊⋋⋌⋍⋎⋏⋐⋑⋒⋓⋔⋕⋖⋗⋘⋙
⋚⋛⋜⋝⋞⋟⋠⋡⋢⋣⋤⋥⋦⋧⋨⋩⋪⋫⋬⋭⋮⋯⋰⋱⋲⋳⋴⋵

Good
Copy/paste away

I see symbols, Geometry, the basis of a language.
Nokton

[nokton]

Originally Posted by HenrikOlsen

Find the post using the symbols, use the Quote feature to get a copy of the text, then it's copy and paste.

.
You wish converse about the science behind crop circles?
Enjoy your ideas and opinions, never give up,
Nokton

[01101001]

Originally Posted by HenrikOlsen

Lets see how many of these pastes correctly
[...]
Good
Copy/paste away

Uh... good for you, maybe. Most of those characters are rendered for me as squares, circa 150 of them, IE 6.0, Windows XP. Nothing in the View/Encoding menu helped. They looked OK once I pasted them into Notepad, so there's probably some way to view them correctly in IE, but if anyone uses most of them here, until I find the magic, I'll be in the dark. I wouldn't assume they are viewable by all.

Edit: Getting closer. I can see they are the Unicode charaters 2200 - 22f5 (or so) "Mathematical Operators" in a Unicode code chart (PDF). Now, how to get them rendered by IE... Edit: Got them to display OK in a Unicode math-operators test page, by changing my browser font options to Tahoma when unspecified, but here it still is unreadable.

Edit, much later: I was thinking, after reading below about the Wingdings font check mark (ü, if specifying the font works, otherwise ü).

If in my post, I explicitly specify Tahoma font (possibly others, too) for these Unicode characters, then they look OK (except for the last four) for me. But, I wonder how they get rendered for someone who doesn't have Tahoma. Anyone not see these as math symbols this time?

∀∁∂∃∄∅∆∇∈∉∊∋∌∍∎∏∐∑−∓∔∕∖∗∘∙
√∛∜∝∞∟∠∡∢∣∤∥∦∧∨∩∪∫∬∭∮∯∰∱∲∳
∴∵∶∷∸∹∺∻∼∽∾∿
≀≁≂≃≄≅≆≇≈≉≊≋≌
≍≎≏≐≑≒≓≔≕≖≗≘≙≚≛≜≝≞≟
≠≡≢≣≤≥≦≧≨≩≪≫≬≭≮≯≰≱≲≳≴≵≶≷≸≹≺≻≼≽≾≿⊀⊁
⊂⊃⊄⊅⊆⊇⊈⊉⊊⊋⊌⊍⊎⊏⊐⊑⊒⊓⊔⊕⊖⊗⊘⊙⊚⊛⊜⊝⊞⊟⊠⊡
⊢⊣⊤⊥⊦⊧⊨⊩⊪⊫⊬⊭⊮⊯⊰⊱⊲⊳⊴⊵⊶⊷⊸⊹⊺⊻⊼⊽⊾⊿
⋀⋁⋂⋃⋄⋅⋆⋇⋈⋉⋊⋋⋌⋍⋎⋏⋐⋑⋒⋓⋔⋕⋖⋗⋘⋙
⋚⋛⋜⋝⋞⋟⋠⋡⋢⋣⋤⋥⋦⋧⋨⋩⋪⋫⋬⋭⋮⋯⋰⋱⋲⋳⋴⋵

The problem, if you are trying to use funny characters to communicate, is not how to get to see them yourself, but how to make sure everyone else sees them.

[umop ap!sdn]

Originally Posted by HenrikOlsen

Lets see how many of these pastes correctly
??????????????????????????
??????????????????????????
????????????
?????????????
???????????????????
??????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????
????????????????????????????

Good
Copy/paste away

And here's what happens when I quote you. Looks fine until I hit either Submit or Preview...

[HenrikOlsen]

Oh well, unicode definitely isn't all there yet.

[01101001]

Originally Posted by HenrikOlsen

Oh well, unicode definitely isn't all there yet.

Maybe someday...

Until then, it's WYSMNBWOPG -- What you see may not be what other people get.

[HenrikOlsen]

Originally Posted by umop ap!sdn

And here's what happens when I quote you. Looks fine until I hit either Submit or Preview...

Still using Opera?

[umop ap!sdn]

Originally Posted by HenrikOlsen

Still using Opera?

Until they pry it from my cold... well, you know.

[Kesh]

If you're on a Macintosh running OS X, go into your System Preferences under "International."

Click on "Input Menu" and check the box marked "Show input menu in menu bar." Also, make sure you have the "Character Palatte" checked.

Now, you'll have a menu in your menubar that looks like the American* flag. Click on that, and it'll give you a Character palatte option. Find the symbol you want, copy & paste it into Safari or Firefox and it should work just fine as a Unicode symbol.

* You Brits should have a Union Jack. I dunno about the rest of you.

[Roy Batty]

Originally Posted by Kesh

* You Brits should have a Union Jack. I dunno about the rest of you.

Or even a Union flag, unless we're all at sea

Btw anyone know how to get a 'tick' symbol? Couldn't see it on Charmap in XP.