I hate this letter $\xi$. I dont understand why we have to use this symbol. I mean there are many greek letters easier to draw. Do we use this letter in order to imply the level of difficulty in the topic it appeared?
Anyway, I always wanted to ask how to draw this letter. Should I first draw an $\epsilon$ and make a curly tail on the bottom of it, or sholud I draw an $S$ with some curly $C$ on top of it?
Could you please enlighten me about this and help me to like this letter?
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iamvegan
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2Use a computer to generate three full lines of $\xi$, then print it, and start tracing until you get the hang of it. – Asaf Karagila Jan 12 '14 at 11:33
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2I hate it too! I ususally do the epsilon-with-a-tail approach, but it always looks awful – GPerez Jan 12 '14 at 11:34
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3Nice question! This has been bothering me for years :D – CODE Jan 12 '14 at 11:35
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2Well let me tell you about a great invention called google! Here is how to draw all greek letters: http://www.foundalis.com/lan/hw/grkhandw.htm – Mohammad Jan 12 '14 at 11:37
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The way I write it is similar, though I start with a straight line at the top and do it all in one motion. So I start with a straight left-to-right line, at the end of that line I write a C, and at the end of the C I draw a somewhat top-heavy S. Similarly, for $\zeta$, I do all of that sans the C. – Brian Jan 12 '14 at 11:40
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1@1:10 And here are some other characters because answer needs to be at least 30. – user88595 Jan 12 '14 at 11:36
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Nice video, although the guy draws $\alpha$ non continuously, in a way I never saw before (but every other letter, including $\xi$, is written canonically). – Did Jan 12 '14 at 11:45
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My comment concerns @1:10. – Did Jan 12 '14 at 12:36
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One way, which I don't personally use but which works all the same, is to draw a lower-case $e$ (or even $\varepsilon$ I guess) and, without taking your pen off the paper, draw a lower-case $s$ directly underneath it. It certainly doesn't say anything about the difficulty level of the topic involved.
Alternatively...
Clive Newstead
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should I draw an S with some curly C on top of it?
No, it is better to draw it in one stroke. Start from the end of the little thing top left and follow continuously the curve until the little thing bottom right. Twice your pen should stop and go backwards, as is done once when drawing $\varepsilon$.
Do we use this letter in order to imply the level of difficulty in the topic it appeared?
Not that I am aware of, but $\xi$ is often used to correspond to $x$, like one would use $\alpha$, $\beta$ and $\gamma$ to correspond to $a$, $b$ and $c$.
Could you please (...) help me to like this letter?
Sorry but no I could not. I find it beautiful, you do not, end of story.
Did
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1+1 for your last point, though how you or the op has relatively strong feeling to a letter is beyond me. – Lost1 Jan 12 '14 at 11:47
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I just hope you don't take the same attitude if someone replace 'this letter' with the word 'probability'. – Lost1 Jan 12 '14 at 12:04
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