[joppy]

Single-variable letters and suggestive notation make it easier to recognise patterns, and give a good level of abstraction at which thinking about the problem rather than muddling through notation can happen. For example one can rather easily check

a(b + c) + (b - d - a)(b + c) = (b - d)(b + c)

But it will be hard to simplify

add(mul(amins, add(boo, cold)), mul(…

You are not expected to understand what the notation means without further context, in the same way a programmer is not meant to see a function call to main(foo) and understand what will happen.