Putting in "what does the symbol sigma mean" into google (incognito mode) gives the google blurb of:
"In addition to being the 18th letter of the Greek alphabet, sigma also means 'sum' and 'deviation' in the mathematics world. Learn what each symbol looks like and how each formula works."
It first hit is titled,"Sigma Notation - Math is Fun", with the text 'Sigma Notation. Σ This symbol (called Sigma) means "sum up"'
I think learning the names of the Greek letters is not too high a bar to get started on learning physics and math. Fun too. You really need to know the names of things to start to understand them and ask people about them.
I think the reason people like compact formulas is that it is much easier to understand and check a formula if one can have the whole thing in eyes view.
That's part of my point though. You had to know Σ means sigma to search that in the first place. If you search "what does Σ mean" or "what does symbol Σ mean" you get answers for lowercase sigma saying standard deviation.
At the very least it means it takes 2 searches, one to find the name of a symbol, and a second to search using that, sometimes I can't do that if the notation is an image of TeX output. Then it becomes "what does box symbol with line through it mean" or something.
Thankfully StackExchange now renders math notation in a way that can be copy pasted, but still, here's an example I was reading recently that started as an ascii email chain and moved to stackexchange, I feel like it was more easily readable before.
It's still tough to Google that Π(u) is the same as the rect() function
> I think learning the names of the Greek letters is not too high a bar to get started on learning physics and math.
But the original point was that for someone who doesn't know math, writing it in a more english-like notation wouldn't be helpful. But because of search engines it is.
"In addition to being the 18th letter of the Greek alphabet, sigma also means 'sum' and 'deviation' in the mathematics world. Learn what each symbol looks like and how each formula works."
It first hit is titled,"Sigma Notation - Math is Fun", with the text 'Sigma Notation. Σ This symbol (called Sigma) means "sum up"'
I think learning the names of the Greek letters is not too high a bar to get started on learning physics and math. Fun too. You really need to know the names of things to start to understand them and ask people about them.
I think the reason people like compact formulas is that it is much easier to understand and check a formula if one can have the whole thing in eyes view.