Greek letters used in mathematics, science, and engineering

<a href="/facts/Greek_letters/1cHwB8Dg">Greek letters</a> are used in <a href="/facts/Mathematics/pxTouaz4">mathematics</a>, <a href="/facts/Science/IJoaD7rs">science</a>, <a href="/facts/Engineering/RFVg8H3I">engineering</a>, and other areas where mathematical notation is used as symbols for <a href="/facts/Mathematical_constant/rzqTX307">constants</a>, <a href="/facts/Special_function/JETSeucA">special functions</a>, and also conventionally for <a href="/facts/Variable_(mathematics)/VbQlrvKz">variables</a> representing certain quantities. In these contexts, the capital letters and the small letters represent distinct and unrelated entities. Those Greek letters which have the same form as <a href="/facts/Latin_letters/7EWeJjUV">Latin letters</a> are rarely used: capital A, B, E, Z, H, I, K, M, N, O, P, T, Y, X. Small ι, ο and υ are also rarely used, since they closely resemble the Latin letters i, o and u. Sometimes, font variants of Greek letters are used as distinct symbols in mathematics, in particular for ε/ϵ and π/ϖ. The archaic letter <a href="/facts/Digamma/6dRK1gDG">digamma</a> (Ϝ/ϝ/ϛ) is sometimes used.
The <a href="/facts/Bayer_designation/KU2DVT47">Bayer designation</a> naming scheme for <a href="/facts/Star/PFbd6ICx">stars</a> typically uses the first Greek letter, α, for the brightest star in each constellation, and runs through the alphabet before switching to Latin letters.
In <a href="/facts/Mathematical_finance/P9otEltQ">mathematical finance</a>, <a href="/facts/Greeks_(finance)/v52IJIq5">the Greeks</a> are the variables denoted by Greek letters used to describe the risk of certain investments.

Greek letters used in mathematics, science, and engineering open-in-new

Greek letters used in mathematics, science, and engineering