Style Guide for Assigning Subscripts in Formulas 1

[DM2]

There seems to be an unwritten rule that when assigning subscript for mathematical symbols, the Noun is capitalized and the prenoun is subscript. For example: Potential Energy is often written E_p, rather than P_e.

I've not seen this written in any "Style Manuals" that I can find. Is my understanding correct and does anyone know of a reference, or possible style manual for this?

Regards,
DM

"Real world Knowledge isn't dropped from a parachute in the sky but rather acquired in tiny increments from a variety of sources including panic and curiosity."

 

[IRstuff]

Forget the subscript for a moment; what would you write as the symbol for energy? Would it not be a capitalized E? And E_P is not MATH, it's PHYSICS. And in physics books, I've also seen potential energy as PE and kinetic as KE. Given that KE and PE are both energies, would it really make sense to have P_E and K_E, given that E is the symbol for energy, and that there is no physical meaning to K and P by themselves?

TTFN
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