Conventional Usage of Greek Letters in Mathematically-based

Disciplines for NSW High School Students

letter

symbol

common usage

example

angle or root of an equation

sin = cos (90o )

angle or root of an equation

angle or root of an equation

+ + = 180o

gamma function

(n) = (n 1)!

percent error

change in a variable

absolute error

= 100%
f (x + x) f (x)
f 0 (x) = limx0
x
 = |v vapprox |

damping ratio

c
=
2 mk

relative error

variable (or constant) angle

cos2 + sin2 = 1

alpha
+ =

beta

b
a

gamma

delta

epsilon

zeta

eta

theta


|v|

letter

symbol

common usage

example

wavelength

cosmological constant 1052 m2

kinetic friction force between two objects

v
f
c2
vac =
8G
F = N

kinematic viscosity

ratio of circumference to diameter 3.141..

A = r2

density

shear stress

summation

F
=
A
P
F = ma

torque

= nBIA cos

golden ratio or angle

angular frequency

= 2f

Ohm: SI Unit for electrical resistance

R = 1

iota

kappa

lambda

mu
=

nu

omnicron

pi
=

rho

sigma

m
V

tau

upsilon

phi

1+ 5
2
-

chi

psi

omega
2