Vector notation
![Rectangle](/Images/godic/202502/19/Rectangle_Geometry_Vector.svg2353.png")
![Rectangular cuboid](/Images/godic/202502/19/Cuboid_simple.svg2353.png")
![Points in the polar coordinate system with pole O and polar axis L. In green, the point with radial coordinate 3 and angular coordinate 60 degrees, or (3,60°). In blue, the point (4,210°).](/Images/godic/202502/19/CircularCoordinates.svg2353.png")
![A cylindrical coordinate system with origin O, polar axis A, and longitudinal axis L. The dot is the point with radial distance ρ = 4, angular coordinate φ = 130°, and height z = 4.](/Images/godic/202502/19/Coord_system_CY_1.svg2353.png")
Vector notation, commonly used mathematical notation for working with mathematical vectors, which may be geometric vectors or abstract members of vector spaces.
For representing a vector, the common typographic convention is upright boldface type, as in ![\mathbf{v}](/Images/godic/202502/19/0aa3ec374bdc0d6a17aecbb6bcda6a892353.png")
for a vector named ‘v’. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recommends either bold italic serif, as in v or a, or non-bold italic serif accented by a horizontal right arrow, as in ![\vec{v}](/Images/godic/202502/19/20d88c8c828fbb1bc9168d9cfd8160602353.png")
or ![\vec{a}](/Images/godic/202502/19/a159b61a2221d23bb55d352231cab4562353.png")
. This arrow notation for vectors is commonly used in handwriting, where boldface is impractical. The arrow represents right-pointing arrow notation or harpoons. Shorthand notations include tildes and straight lines placed above or below the name of a vector.