Article Usage

Question

I have the following phrase after an equation:

where "a" and "b" are scattering-type parameters for z₁ and z₂, respectively

In the above phrase, I have a strong tendency to have the article "the" before the term "scattering-type parameters," but some of my colleagues have a difference of opinion. Is the article really needed here or not? Whatever be the answer, please let me have it with a reason please.

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

KathirkamanI have the following phrase after an equation:
where "a" and "b" are scattering-type parameters for z1 and z2, respectively
In the above phrase, I have a strong tendency to have the article "the" before the term "scattering-type parameters," but some of my colleagues have a difference of opinion. Is the article really needed here or not? Whatever be the answer, please let me have it with a reason please.

Your friends are right.

When the plural noun following the copula is a characteristic of the subject, there is no definite article: e.g.

Mary and Susie are girls. (not the girls)

Mary and Susie are the girls who live next door. (specific girls, resticted by the relative clause)

J.S. Bach and Antonio Vivaldi were famous Baroque composers. (Not the famous Baroque composers. )

J.S. Bach and Antonio Vivaldi are the most famous Baroque composers. (now, the predicate noun is specific, and it needs a definite article)

You could argue that "for Z1 and Z2" makes scattering-type parameters specific, but in mathematical textbooks and article, it is normal to leave out the definite article when describing variables.

Anonymous · Answer

For an electrical circuit where V1 and V2 are the voltages across resistors R1 and R2 respectively.....

here I would be inclined to use the article "the" because there is only 1 unique voltage (at a particular time)

across each resistor.

In your case, I do not know your subject matter well enough to know if there is only 1 scattering parameter for z1. If so, I would be inclined to use "the" . If there are several, I would omit it.

Another example: if there is only one light bulb that fits a particular socket and only 1 part number for that bulb...................THE part number for the bulb is xyz

If there are several bulbs or part numbers that fit..........A part number for the bulb is jkl

Having said that, being a technical person more than a grammar person, I doubt that your readers

will care much.....perhaps they won't even notice. There are bigger fish to fry.

Anonymous · Answer

in this article http://prb.aps.org/abstract/PRB/v8/i12/p5632_1

is this sentence:

Ionized-impurity scattering was calculated from two theories and compared with experiment. Lattice-scattering parameters for intervalley and accoustic modes were determined from a comparison of the results between theory and experiment, using as many as four intervalley phonons.

For z1, are there several lattice scattering parameters? Is there one for intervalley mode and another for

acoustic mode? If so, then there is not a unique parameter for z1? Just asking..........don't know enough to understand.

CalifJim · Answer

Kathirkamanwhere "a" and "b" are scattering-type parameters for z1 and z2, respectively
In the above phrase, I have a strong tendency to have the article "the" before the term "scattering-type parameters," but some of my colleagues have a difference of opinion. Is the article really needed here or not?

I see both as correct, depending on the meaning you want to express.

If there are scattering-type parameters which are specific to z1 and z2, for example, which are not the same as the scattering-type parameters which are specific to other entities such as x1 and x2, then "the" seems more appropriate. They are the scattering-type parameters that apply (only) to z1 and z2.

If scattering-type parameters are not specific to certain entities, however, but can be scattering-type parameters for any entities (x1, x2, y1, y2, z1, z2, or whatever), then the omission of "the" seems more appropriate. They are just, in general, scattering-type parameters.

Since you've actually given them names 'a' and 'b' it seems to me that they apply only to z1 and z2, so "the" seems fine to me. Yet, I don't see any problem in omitting "the" because "scattering-type parameters" may be a reference to the non-specific idea of scattering-type parameters.

In short, I can't see that it makes a lot of difference one way or the other in the context you quoted.

CJ

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