1 Jul
2015
1 Jul
'15
8:25 a.m.
Typography is a bit removed from math, but I know some of you are font geeks, and in any case, the ability to attend to minutiae of notation is a part of the mathematician's toolkit. So without further apology, let me ask: Is the "W" in http://jamespropp.org/backwards-w.jpg truly backwards, as I think it is? Or does this sort of font-asymmetry admit variations? What's the relevant nomenclature describing the thickness of ascending and descending strokes? (If, ignoring my wife's counsel, I end up entering the Hollingworth 5 and 10 to tell them that their W is backwards, I want to sound like I know what I'm talking about, even if I actually don't.) Jim Propp