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''This page is a pronunciation guide for the [[Complexity Zoo]] which was originally created at http://www.complexityzoo.com/ by [[Scott Aaronson]].''

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Unfortunately, there are no accepted conventions for pronouncing the names of rarer complexity classes.  Usually the safest bet is just to spell out a whole acronym; even when vowels are present, this is easier than wrapping one's tongue around (say) [[Complexity Zoo:P#podn|PODN]] or [[Complexity Zoo:N#niszk|NISZK]].  The major exceptions are words and word prefixes, which are pronounced as such: for example, co, mod, log, lin, few, poly, exp, gap, time, space, amp, av, sel, sat.  Also, the "TAS" in [[Complexity Zoo:P#ptas|PTAS]], [[Complexity Zoo:F#fptas|FPTAS]], and [[Complexity Zoo:E#eptas|EPTAS]] is generally pronounced "tahz."

As for symbols, the "&oplus;" of [[Complexity Zoo:Symbols#parityl|&oplus;L]] is pronounced "parity"; while the "#" of [[Complexity Zoo:Symbols#sharpp|#P]] is pronounced "sharp" (some textbooks also list "pound" or "number" as acceptable, but I've never heard the latter two used in real life (<i>update:</i> Leslie Ann Goldberg tells me that in Britain, they say both "number-P" and "hash-P")).  The "/" of [[Complexity Zoo:P#pslashpoly|P/poly]] is pronounced "slash."  The act of subscripting is left unvocalized, so that [[Complexity Zoo:M#modkp|Mod<sub>k</sub>P]] is "mod-k-p" rather than "mod-sub-k-p."  Superscripting, on the other hand, ''is'' vocalized: [[Complexity Zoo:P#pnp|P<sup>NP</sup>]] is "P to the NP" (but not "P to the NP power" - it's an oracle, for Godsakes).

Finally, [[Lance Fortnow]] has informed me that [[Complexity Zoo:C#cequalsp|C<sub>=</sub>P]] and its cousin [[Complexity Zoo:C#cequalsl|C<sub>=</sub>L]] are pronounced "C equals P" and "C equals L" respectively.  This could lead to confusion in sentences such as [[Complexity Zoo:C#conqp|coNQP]] equals C equals P."

[[Category:Computational Complexity]]

Return to Complexity Zoo Pronunciation Guide.

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