# Why use oldstyle numbers? It's inconsistent with MathJax [duplicate]

Writing numbers in the main text produces oldstyle numbers: 0123456789, while typing the same numbers in "math mode" produces modern style numbers: $0123456789$. While I'm a big fan of oldstyle numbers (in literature, at least), this contrast makes this entire page look inconsistent. I don't think reprogramming MathJax is an option, so could we stop using oldstyle numbers?

• Somewhat related post at TeX.SE: Numbers outside Math environment Jan 11 '15 at 9:41
• Well, as much relation as a post about a webpage style can have to the typesetting standards in LaTeX documents. Jan 11 '15 at 9:49
• Oops, didn't notice. Jan 11 '15 at 10:10
• I have tried to take advantage of the distinction on occasion. I often post answers where the numbers have different uses. Say, the question is about rings, and the numbers involved are either elements of the ring (using math mode font for those, as I manipulate equations over a ring heavily), and also as integers (may be number of solutions of an equation, or some such). In that case it might make sense to use both fonts to help distinguishing elements of two different "universes". This advantage is, however, not clear... Jan 11 '15 at 10:21
• (cont'd) 1) The context always resolves the ambiguities that I try to resolve by using two fonts, 2) sometimes further manipulations force the use of "counting numbers" in math mode also, 3) a busy-beaver editor may show up and add the necessary dollar-signs everywhere :-) Jan 11 '15 at 10:22
• To summarise @Martin's link, this answer suggests (via a quote of Knuth) using old-style numbers for text, such as 2015, and new style for maths, such as $12$ does not divide $2$''. It is also worth pointing out Knuth's interesting TUGboat article, where the quote is from. Jan 13 '15 at 17:17