[Python-ideas] Allow using symbols from Unicode block "Superscripts and Subscripts" in identifiers

[Ron Adam]

On 05/03/2014 05:05 AM, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
> On Sat, May 03, 2014 at 06:38:21PM +1200, Greg Ewing wrote:

>> >Steven D'Aprano wrote:

>>> > >Particularly for mathematically-focused code, I think it would be useful
>>> > >to be able to use identifiers like (say) σ² for variance,

>> >Having σ² be a variable name could be confusing. To a
>> >mathematician, it's not a distinct variable, it's
>> >just σ ** 2.

> Actually, not really. A better way of putting it is that the standard
> deviation is "just" the square root of σ². Variance comes first (it's
> defined from first principles), and then the standard deviation is
> defined by taking the square root.


The main problem I see is that many possible questions come to mind rather 
than one simple or obvious interpretation.

Cheers,
    Ron