celms@vim.ARPA (Dr. Aivars Celmins ) (08/20/88)
An international standard for writing of numbers was adopted
1948 by the 9-th General Conference of Weights and Measures.
(This is the organization which defines standards of units).
The corresponding resolution states:
"In numbers, the comma (French practice) or the dot (British
practice) are used only to separate the integral part of
numbers from the decimal part. Numbers may be divided in
goups of three in order to facilitate reading; neither
dots nor commas are ever inserted in the spaces between
groups."
See NBS Special Publication 330, 1972 and all subsequent
NBS publications about the use of the International
System of Units (SI).
Obviously, the journal editor mentioned in a previous posting
was following this standard.
ACirf@kuling.UUCP (Bo Thide) (08/23/88)
In article <3443@phri.UUCP> roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith) writes: > I write numbers greater than 999 with commas between the groups of >three digits. I also write numbers with decimal fractional parts with a >period between the integer and fractional parts. My understanding of >European usage is to use spaces (or, more properly, half-spaces) where I >use commas and a comma where I use a period. Not quite, we (sometimes, not always) use space where you use comma so that large integers NEVER contain anything but numbers. As soon as we see a separator (be it comma or, in scintific contexts, a period) we know that the number is in a decimal fraction form. Hence we always assume 22,166 = 22.166 (a little more than 23) with the choice of the type of decimal "point" (, or .) not being terribly important. The US style number 21,166 is in Europe written 21666 or (in books etc) 21 666. > What do Europeans do with things like "SunOS-3.2"? Convert it to >"SunOS-3,2" or leave it the way it is? We never touch it ... :-) -Bo -- >>> Bo Thide', Swedish Institute of Space Physics, S-755 90 Uppsala, Sweden <<< Phone (+46) 18-300020. Telex: 76036 (IRFUPP S). UUCP: ..enea!kuling!irfu!bt
jcb@lfcs.ed.ac.uk (Julian Bradfield) (08/24/88)
In article <2767@hubcap.UUCP> shorne@citron writes: >Actually, England uses a raised dot as the decimal point. Up to a point. In science and maths books, the convention is now to use a low point, and this is the recommendation of the Royal Society. In older books, or in non-technical material, a medial point is used.
jeremy@inf.rl.ac.uk (Jeremy Isserlis) (10/10/88)
In article <3443@phri.UUCP> roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith) writes: > > I just got back page proofs for an article to appear in a British >journal. I notice that the editors changed the way I wrote numbers, but in >what appears to be an inconsistent way. First, do not assume that British really means European! I can only talk as UK/NZ usage, especially UK: In normal, everyday use and general casual working use in Britain: Commas are used to denote thousands as in 1,988 = One thousand nine hundred and eighty-eight. Other than on computers and older style printed matter the full stop does not meand decimal point, it means "times" as in 6.(3+4) = 42. It is true that this notation is used less and less, mainly because of confusion with American usage. A decimal point can not be represented properly on most computers: it is written as a dot, occupying about half a space or less, in the middle of the vertical line, NOT ON the line. In UK newspapers, advertising hoardings etc. generally use the proper decimal point now, seem to have found the right type face character! A full stop, ".", is just that, other than on computer print-out. > What do Europeans do with things like "SunOS-3.2"? Convert it to >"SunOS-3,2" or leave it the way it is? This is not a problem: it is treated as any trade name, i.e. left unchanged. >-- Jeremy Isserlis <jeremy@inf.rl.ac.uk>