NUMBER AND MATHEMATICS

It is said that mathematics is the base of all other sciences, and that arithmetics , the
science of numbers, is the base of mathematics. Numbers consist of whole numbers
(integers) which are formed by the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, , !, ", #, $ and % and by combinations of
them. &or e'am(le, 2# ) two hundred and forty se*en ) is a number formed by three digits.
+arts of numbers smaller than 1 are sometimes e'(ressed in terms, of fractions, but in
scientific usage they are gi*en as decimals. ,his is because it is easier to (erform the
*arious mathematical o(erations if decimals are used instead of fractions. ,he main
o(erations are- to add, subtract, multi(ly and di*ide. to s/uare, cube or any other root and to
find a ratio or (ro(ortion between (airs of numbers or a series of numbers. ,hus, the
(ur(oses throughout the world, e*en in countries whose national system of weights and
measurements are based u(on other scales. ,he other scale in general use nowadays is the
binary, or two0scale, in which numbers are e'(ressed by combinations of only two digits, 0
and 1. ,hus, in the binary scale, 2 is e'(ressed as 010, 3 is gi*en as 011, is e'(ressed as
100, etc. this scale is (erfectly ada(ted to the off0on (ulses of electricity, so it is widely used
in electronic com(uters. because of its sim(licity it is often called 1the la2y schoolboys
dream.
3ther branches of mathematics such as algebra and geometry are also e'tensi*ely used in
many sciences and e*en in some areas of (hiloso(hy. 4ore s(eciali2ed e'tensions, such as
(robability theory and grou( theory, are now a((lied to an increasing range of acti*ities,
from economics and the disgn of e'(eriments to war and (olitics. &inally, a 5nowledge of
statistics is re/uired by e*ery ty(e of scientist for the analysis of data, moreo*er, e*en an
elementary 5nowledge of this branch of mathematics is sufficient to enable the 6ournalist to
a*oid misleading his readers, or the ordinary citi2en to detect the attem(ts which are
constantly made to decei*e him.
734+898:8N;I3N
1. <hat is the relationshi( of mathematics to the other sciences=
2. <hat is the science of numbers called=
3. Name a two0digit integer.
. Name two ways of e'(ressing (arts of the number one (unity).
!. Name the common arithmetical o(eration. >sing actual numbers, gi*e e'am(les of
each.
". <hat are the two number0systems commonly used throughout the world=
#. ?i*e e'am(les of numbers in the binary system.
$. <hat are the ad*antages of each system=
%. Name some other branches of mathematics.
10. <hat branch of mathematics is *ery useful to ordinary citi2en= <hy=
<39@ ;,>@A
;AN3NA4; 8B897I;8
&ind words in the (assage which mean a((ro'imately the same as - entire (w..e). usually
(f..y). in the (lace of (i..d of). system of measurement (s..e). widely (e'..y). be (ut to use in
(be a..d to). lastly (f..y). 5ind, sort (t..e). sim(ler (e..r). cause someone to ma5e a mista5e by
gi*ing wrong or incom(lete information (m..d). continually (c..y). disco*er, find out (d..t).
action of trying to do something (a..t). a grou( of measurements etc. arranged in an orderly
way to form a whole (s..m)
<39@ C>ID@IN?
1. ,he suffi'0ion (0ation, 0ition)
,his suffi' forms nouns from *erbs with the meaning of process or result of doing
something. ,hus operation means process or result of operating. 3ther nouns
formed in this way are addition (process or result of adding) from (to) add;
subtraction from subtract. division from divide; multiplication from multiply.
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>sing )ation, ma5e nouns from the following *erbs- a((ly. ada(t. s(eciali2e.
com(ute. calculate. isolate. combine. e'(lain. in*estigate.
2. ,he suffi' )ment
this suffi' forms nouns from the corres(onding *erbs, e.g. , measurement from the
*erb (to) measure.
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Cy adding )men, form nouns from the following *erbs -
8/ui(, mo*e. ad6ust. establish. attach. im(ro*e. state.
3. ,he suffi' )ity
,his suffi' forms nouns from the ad6ecti*es, e.g. acti*ity from the ad6ecti*e acti*e.
(robability from (robable, and sim(licity from sim(le.
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E. &orm nouns from the following- al5aline. relati*e. (otential. com(le'. e/ual.
reliable. acid.
Note - the ad6ecti*e able becomes ability.
C. E((lying the (rinci(le gi*en in the note abo*e, ma5e ad6ecti*es corres(onding to
the following nouns- a*ailability. ada(tability. stability. res(onsibility.
. ,he (refi'0suffi' )en.
,his is used either as (refi' to ad6ecti*e (or occasionally nouns) to form a *erb (e.g.,
enable, enlarge, etc.) or more commonly as a suffi', e.g., widen (from wide).
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Cy adding )en, form *erbs from the following - length. strength tight. wea5. loose.
short. dee(. height.
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7om(lete the following by choosing a((ro(riate word from 1, 2, 3, and abo*e-
,he main aG.ity of the scientist is the iG.ion and eG.ion of the world around us. ,o
enG.him to do this he uses many different 5inds of eG.ment, and in order to ma5e them
more ..able to his (ur(oses he fre/uently ma5es aG ments to them which lead to their
iG.ment. for e'am(le. :e may sGen a (art which is too wea5. DGen one which is too short
and tGen something which is loose, and thus causes too much mGent, so that the
instrument does not ha*e necessary sGity. ;o e*en the most s(eciali2ed scientist need to
be an engineer. ;ometimesH
;,9>7,>98 ;,>@A
,he main structure used in this (assage is the (assi*e of the tense used in the (re*ious
(assage, i.e. the sim(le (resent. <e use the (assi*e when we ha*e little interest in, or
5nowledge of, the doer of the action but are more interested in what ha((ens to, or is done
to, the (erson or thing thus affected.
Aou (robably remember that the (assi*e is formed by the a((ro(riate tense of the *erb to be
(lus the (ast (artici(le, e.g.-
,:8 E7,IF8 C87348 IN ,:8 +E;;IF8
;tatistic s statistics
4athematics mathematics is
+eo(le use imagination imagination used.
@ecimals decimals
7om(uters com(uters are
7hemicals chemicals
3ther branches of mathematics are used in may sciences. ,he (assi*e is used here
because we are not at the moment concerned with who uses the branches.
;imilarly - 1attem(ts are constantly made to decei*e the ordinary citi2en. 1 we do not wish to
s(ecify at this (oint who ma5es these attem(ts.
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E. 4a5e the following sentences (assi*e, thus eliminating the uns(ecified doer of the
action, and em(hasi2ing the ob6ect, or the main *erb-
1. +eo(le a((ly mathematics in many different acti*ities. (begin - mathematic
is . . . .)
2. +eo(le use the binary scale in electronic com(uters.
3. +eo(le form the s/uare of a number by multi(lying the number by itself. (begin -
the s/uare of a number is . . . . )
. In the binary scale, (eo(le e'(ress numbers by combinations of 0 and 1.
!. +eo(le usually use decimals rather than fractions for scientific (ur(oses. (begin -
decimals, rather than fractions . . . .)
". +eo(le de*elo( new (roducts e*ery day.
#. +eo(le call mathematics 1the language of science.
$. +eo(le use the decimal system e*en in countries with non0decimali2ed system of
weights and measurements.
%. It is easier to (erform mathematical o(erations with com(uters if we use the
binary system instead of the decimal system.
10. +eo(le use electronic com(uters from many different (ur(oses.
11. +eo(le often find relationshi(s in com(lete data.
12. +eo(le ma5e attem(ts to decei*e the ordinary citi2en.
Note - if the doer of the action has some im(ortance (though less than the ob6ect). 3r
is needed to com(lete the sense of the sentence, it is gi*en, e.g. , 1a 5nowledge of
statistics is re/uired by e*ery ty(e of scientist.
Notice that there is a small (roblem of word0order in all but the most sim(le form of
this ty(e of sentence, e.g. , 1the scientific in*estigator a((lies logical and (ersistent
thought to his (roblems (acti*e), becomes 1logical and (ersistent thought is a((lied
by the scientific in*estigator to his (roblems ((assi*e).
,he order of words is thus -
3b6ect ) *erb in the (assi*e ) sub6ect ) rest of sentence.
C. 4a5e the following sentences (assi*e, mentioning the doer of the action but shifting
the em(hasis to the ob6ect -
1. E combination of the digits 0 ) % forms integers.
2. 8ngineers re/uire an ad*anced 5nowledge of algebra and geometry. (begin- an
ad*anced 5nowledge of . . . )
3. ;cientists, es(ecially (hysicists and engineers, often use electronic com(uters.
. Iournalists, who seldom ha*e a 5nowledge of statistics, fre/uently mislead the
ordinary citi2en.
!. 8*ery day, a((lied scientist and technologist (roduce new drugs, fibres,
chemicals and e/ui(ment. (begin - e*ery day, new . . . )
". E combination of two elements forms a chemical com(ound.
#. ,he ordinary citi2en often re/uires an elementary 5nowledge of statistics.
$. 8conomists also use mathematics.
%. 8*ery ty(e of scientist re/uires a 5nowledge of statistics.
10. ;cientists use accurate system of measurement.
11. +hiloso(hers em(loy s(eciali2ed e'tensions of mathematics.
12. +hysicists also use (robability theory.
7. 4a5e u( sentences similar to the ones gi*en in e'ercise (E) and (C) abo*e, using
words learnt in this (assage, and change them from acti*e to (assi*e.
SUBTITUTION TABLES 4
Note. ;entences must be made sensible by using an a((ro(riate /ualifying word from
column 3 in each case.
;I4+D8 +98;8N, +E;;IF8
1 2 3 ! " # $ %
Dogical
thought
+atience
Eccurate
obser*ation
Is Elways
>sually
3ften
;ometime
s
ne*er
>sed
E((lied
em(loye
d
b
y
E scientist
:im
En engineer
In
:is
wor
5
7om(uters
New
techni/ues
9eliable
instruments
Er
e
,echnologis
ts
,hem
;tatisticians
,heir
4a5e the abo*e (a) negati*e, (b) interrogati*e.