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Writing Mathematics in Pencil, and Why Analogue Is Not Dead (2017) (nhigham.com)
3 points by xanderlewis 23 days ago | hide | past | favorite | 2 comments



There is also the old question of why mathematicians tend to prefer pencils over pens. The most common reason I've heard is to make correction easier, but I don't think that's the real one. When I'm doing math, I never erase, I just cross out and work around it because it's just scratch paper anyway.

I think the real reason for using pencil is the freedom to forget about it. With any type of pen, after a period of inaction, you have to fiddle a bit to get it writing nicely again. A pencil is instant, no matter how long you held it poised in air, pondering your next mark on the paper.


Real mathematicians favour chalk. ;-)

I actually tend to use fountain pens for mathematics. Especially ones that don’t dry out when left uncapped.

> the freedom to forget about it.

Mathematicians from New York would agree.




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