Talk:X86/Archives/2021

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n86

X86 may be a misnomer. A usual variable name for natural numbers is 'n,' and for decimals, it's 'a' (rational) or 'x' (irrational/repeating.) The processer model numbers the article is about were natural numbers, not decimals. You're making it sound more difficult to people than it is.--dchmelik (t|c) 03:48, 28 February 2021 (UTC)

However, it's used in many places, so we're stuck with it, for better or worse. A lot of people reading articles talking about "x86" have probably forgotten their high school algebra, and just think of "x" as "x, the unknown", i.e. as a placeholder.
Wikipedia shouldn't invent something new here. Guy Harris (talk) 06:31, 28 February 2021 (UTC)