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# Verbosity and scientific english

2017-10-12 03:38:35

To what extent one can reduce a certain sentence by replacing words as in-line math equations and symbolic variables for better readability? An example is below

when the thermal contrast ratio is 5, the ratio of dimensionless

effective thermal conductivity for an aspect ratio of 4 to

dimensionless effective thermal conductivity for an aspect ratio of 2

is 1.0138 for a grain orientation angle of \ang{0} and 0.9286 for a

grain orientation angle of \ang{90}, respectively.

The abbreviated inline math version of the above statement is as below (This version is assuming all the variables are defined at least twice in the preceding text so the reader knows thermal contrast ratio is K_s/K_f)

when $\mathrm{K_s/K_f}$=5, $\mathrm{K_{eff}^{AR=2}/K_{eff}^{AR=2}}$

ratios are 1.0138 and 0.9286 for $\mathrm{\theta_{i}}$=\ang{0} and

$\mathrm{\theta_{i}}$=\ang{90}, respectively.

I couldn't find any general guidelines for how much a text can be 'symbolized' using equations. I