Document 334

Using special bold characters for real numbers and other standard number sets

Version: 3.x - Scientific WorkPlace, Scientific Word, & Scientific Notebook

You can use the special bold characters for the real numbers and other standard number sets in Scientific WorkPlace, Scientific Word, and Scientific Notebook

Traditionally these characters were typeset in bold. Because mathematicians usually do not have access to bold chalk, they invented the special symbols that are now often used to represent the number sets. These symbols are known as Blackboard Bold. Before insisting on using them, consider whether going back to the old system of ordinary bold might not be acceptable.

Scientific WorkPlace and Scientific Word provide a complete character set of the uppercase Blackboard Bold letters. To enter one of the characters, start math mode, change the Text Tag to Blackboard Bold and type an uppercase letter. If you enter a lowercase letter you will get what looks like a random symbol and not a Blackboard Bold character. You are selecting another symbol from the font that contains the Blackboard Bold characters.

If the Blackboard Bold text tag is not available, then you are probably using a screen style file (.cst file) that was designed for use with Scientific Notebook. You should be able to use File/Style and select a different screen style file for which the Blackboard Bold tag is available.

The font containing the Blackboard Bold characters is not included with Scientific Notebook. Instead of all of the uppercase letter, only a few are available using the fonts added to your computer when Scientific Notebook was installed. The letters CHNPQRZ are available, but there isn't a way to directly enter the Blackboard Bold characters into Scientific Notebook. Instead, the letters can be entered using a fragment, but you must first create the fragment using an ASCII editor:

1. Start your favorite ASCII editor (or use Notepad from the Start Menu).

2. Copy the following to your editor:

   $\UNICODE{0x2102} \UNICODE{0x210d} \UNICODE{0x2115} \UNICODE{0x2119}

   \UNICODE{0x211a} \UNICODE{0x211d} \UNICODE{0x2124} $<br>

3. Save the text in the Frags directory. The file you create must use the file extension .frg, so a convenient name would be "Blackboard Bold.frg".

4. Once the file is saved, use the Fragments pop-up to select Blackboard Bold and the seven available characters will be inserted into your document.

5. If you want, create separate fragments for each character, perhaps using the names Cbb, Hbb, etc.

If you add Blackboard Bold characters to your Scientific Notebook document and then share your document with someone using Scientific WorkPlace or Scientific Word, the characters will appear in the edit window, but they will not typeset. The Scientific WorkPlace or Scientific Word user must be careful to use the File menu and not the Typeset menu to preview and print your document.

Revised 06/18/02

This document was created with Scientific WorkPlace.