some LaTeX variable names point to same content/have same identity

With the LaTeX like replacement in the ipython console it is possible to use greek letters as variable names as well. However, in contrast to e.g. julia, python/ipython maps \varphi[tab] and \phi[tab] to the same data.

Python:

φ = 12
ϕ = 2
print(φ) # returns 2
print(ϕ) # returns 2

e.g. Julia:

φ = 12
ϕ = 2
println(φ) # returns 12
println(ϕ) # returns 2

(Please be aware that depending on your font, \varphi and \phi, might look very similar)

Tested with:

Python 3.6.5
IPython 6.4.0

[PrometheusPi]

I reported the bug on the python issue tracker. It has the ID: issue38612. https://bugs.python.org/issue38612

[dhirschfeld]

I didn’t believe it, but I can confirm on my system using spyder;:

Python 3.7.4 (default, Aug  9 2019, 18:34:13) [MSC v.1915 64 bit (AMD64)]
Type "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.

IPython 7.8.0 -- An enhanced Interactive Python.

In [1]: ϕ = 2

In [2]: φ = 12

In [3]: print(ϕ)
12

In [4]: print(φ)
12