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Why are Greek letters used in mathematics and science?

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Thematic map of Eurasia showing the approximate geographic distribution of Indo-European language families, each represented by a different color. Areas include Celtic in western Europe, Germanic in northern and central Europe, Romance in southwestern Europe, Slavic in eastern Europe and Russia, and Indo-Iranian languages in South Asia. Non-Indo-European language regions and areas of common bilingualism are also indicated. — Greek language Approximate locations of Indo-European languages in contemporary Eurasia.

In the context of the Greek language, Greek letters are utilized in mathematics and science primarily as standardized symbols to represent specific concepts, variables, and constants within equations.1

Because the Greek alphabet provides a distinct set of characters separate from the Latin alphabet, it allows scientists and mathematicians to expand the range of available notation, preventing confusion when multiple variables are used in a single formula. For example:21

$π$ (pi): Represents the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.2
$Δ$ (delta): Signifies a change in a quantity or quality.2
$λ$ (lambda): Denotes wavelength in physics.2
$σ$ (sigma): Represents the Stefan-Boltzmann constant in radiation physics.2
$α$ (alpha): Frequently used to represent an angle.1

By adopting these characters, researchers can maintain clarity and precision across interrelated scientific and mathematical fields.1