Why is there a semicolon instead of a comma in interval notation?

Revision en2, by Thrb_73, 2026-02-24 19:03:31

In some Codeforces problems (for example, problem 545C), you may notice two different interval notations, such as:

[a, b] and [a; b]

This can be confusing at first, but there is actually no difference in meaning.

In many Russian mathematical texts, the semicolon ; is used as the separator in intervals, while in most European and English texts, the comma , is used instead. Since many Codeforces problems are translated from Russian, both notations can appear.

Tags math, notation, clarification

History

 
 
 
 
Revisions
 
 
  Rev. Lang. By When Δ Comment
en2 English Thrb_73 2026-02-24 19:03:31 4 Tiny change: 'ch as:\n\n[a, b] and [a; b]\n\nThis c' -> 'ch as:\n\n**[a, b] and [a; b]**\n\nThis c'
en1 English Thrb_73 2026-02-24 19:02:54 535 Initial revision (published)