0x223C

0x223C refers to the Unicode code point U+223C, named the tilde operator. It is a mathematical symbol represented by the glyph ∼ and is part of the Unicode Mathematical Operators block. In typography, it resembles the tilde used in other scripts but carries distinct semantic meaning in formal notation.

In mathematics, the tilde operator denotes similarity or proportionality under certain contexts, and is widely used to indicate asymptotic equivalence. For example, a_n ~ b_n as n → ∞ expresses that the ratio a_n/b_n tends to 1. It can also indicate approximate equality or relatedness between quantities.

In probability and statistics, tilde is used in the notation X ∼ Y to mean that X has distribution Y (X is distributed as Y). Examples include X ∼ N(0,1) or X ∼ Uniform(0,1). The symbol is also used in other sciences to denote analogous relationships.

In computing and typography, the tilde character is visually similar to the ASCII tilde (~) but is a distinct Unicode character with its own typographic and mathematical meaning. In programming, the ASCII tilde serves different roles (bitwise negation, home directory shorthand in shells), while the mathematical tilde is not interchangeable in formal notation.

The code point U+223C is encoded in Unicode and can be rendered in modern fonts and systems that support Unicode; it is accessible in environments using UTF-8 and UTF-16 encodings.

See also: tilde, approximately, asymptotic notation, similarity.