User blog comment:Seieireppa/God Eater:Universitas, chapter 44: The Maxim of Possibility/@comment-14812118-20150722210729/@comment-1419424-20150722212326

I see it more as alpha = 1, beta = 2. So Nanako = Nanako, Nanako alpha = first alternate Nanako, Nanako beta = second alternate Nanako. If that makes sense.