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The international standard that defines mathematical signs and symbols, ISO 31-11, was superseded in 2009 by ISO 80000-2. What are the main changes?

Franck Dernoncourt
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    I didn't know there was such a thing! – abnry Jan 31 '14 at 22:19
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    @nayrb Yeah that's pretty convenient. Unfortunately the ISO 80000-2 is behind paywall, which is a very nice way to spread a standard... – Franck Dernoncourt Jan 31 '14 at 22:38
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    I won't pay 140 CHF to help decide when to write $\phi$ and when $\varphi$. And I'll keep writing $\pi$ in italics anyway cause I don't know how to avoid it – Hagen von Eitzen Jan 31 '14 at 22:40
  • I can't imagine why the very idea puts my back up. Yet, it does. Perhaps it's just too 1984-ish. – Jonathan Y. Jan 31 '14 at 22:57
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    Personally I looked for international standards for math notation when I moved from France to the US. As some notations changed, e.g. an open interval is commonly written ]a, b[ in France vs. (a, b) in the US, I started getting interested in standard notations for at least the most common concepts. – Franck Dernoncourt Jan 31 '14 at 23:03
  • I don't even know how to get $\pi$ to be upright, no matter what I do— \rm\pi $\rm\pi$, π $π$, \rm π $\rm π$ – gen-ℤ ready to perish Apr 08 '19 at 06:43

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So I've got the document (160 USD for 40 pages!). Here is what it says in page iv:

The first edition cancels and replaces ISO 31-11:1992, which has been technically revised. The major technical changes from the previous standard are the following:

  • Four clauses have been added, i.e. "Standard number sets and intervals", "Elementary geometry", "Combinatorics" and "Transforms".

Interestingly, it goes on saying that the standard's title "Quantities and units — Part 2: Mathematical signs and symbols to be used in the natural sciences and technology" should be renamed into "Quantities and units — Part 2: Mathematics".

Given the amount of copyright notices and other efforts to keep the standard from being diffused, I hope I don't get sued for quoting one sentence...

Franck Dernoncourt
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