Command for transverse, and not \pitchfork, as used in Guillemin and Pollack
Here's a way to construct the symbol:
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath,amssymb}
\newcommand{\transv}{\mathrel{\text{\tpitchfork}}}
\makeatletter
\newcommand{\tpitchfork}{%
\vbox{
\baselineskip\z@skip
\lineskip-.52ex
\lineskiplimit\maxdimen
\m@th
\ialign{##\crcr\hidewidth\smash{$-$}\hidewidth\crcr$\pitchfork$\crcr}
}%
}
\makeatother
\begin{document}
$f_{s} \transv Z$
$X_{f_{s} \transv Z}$
\end{document}
If you don't plan to use the symbol in sub/superscripts, you may remove the \text
around \tpitchfork
.
If you'd like to lower the symbol, add something like \raise-0.1ex
just before \vbox
in the definition of \tpitchfork
and adjust the 0.1
to suit.
\newcommand{\tpitchfork}{%
\raise-0.1ex\vbox{
\baselineskip\z@skip
\lineskip-.52ex
\lineskiplimit\maxdimen
\m@th
\ialign{##\crcr\hidewidth\smash{$-$}\hidewidth\crcr$\pitchfork$\crcr}
}%
}
I was also looking for this and found it in the UTF-8 character library listed as "Pitchfork With Tee Top"
UTF-8 character: ⫚ (Hex code: U+2ADA
)
Interestingly though there is also a character next to it called "Transversal Intersection".
UTF-8 character: ⫛ (Hex code: U+2ADB
)
My Math teacher uses the former one (as in your question), so it may be a legitimate use of that symbol. Maybe both are acceptable alternatives? I'm not an expert.