MATHEMATICS AS A

LANGUAGE
People frequently have trouble
understanding mathematical ideas;
not necessarily because the ideas are
difficult, but because they are being
presented in a foreign language –
THE LANGUAGE OF MATHEMATICS!
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LANGUAGE OF MATHEMATICS
Like any language, mathematics as a language has a
vocabulary, syntax, and symbolism all its own. (cf.
Perry and Adkins, 2003)

•to understand the expressed ideas

•to communicate ideas to others
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NOUN VERSUS SENTENCES

ENGLISH

Noun Sentence
(name given to object (must state a complete
of interest thought)

• Person • TRUE: The word “math” has

four letters.
• Place
• FALSE: The word “math” has 5
• Thing letters
• Sometimes True/Sometimes
False: Math is a difficult
subject.
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B. EXPRESSIONS VERSUS SENTENCES

MATHEMATICS

Expression Sentence
(name given to (must state a complete
mathematical object of thought)
interest
• Number • TRUE : 1+ 2 = 3
• Set • FALSE: 1 + 2 = 4
• Matrix
• ST/SF : x =1
• Ordered pair
• Average
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B. Conventions in the
Mathematical Language
IDEAS REGARDING EXPRESSIONS

• Expressions have different names

Example:
5 2+3 10÷2 (6 - 2) + 1 1 + 1+ 1 +1+ 1
• Common in solving expressions is to SIMPLIFY
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WHAT DOES SIMPLER MEAN?

• Fewer symbols
• Fewer operations
• Better suited to current use
• Preferred/ style/format
 8

MATHEMATICAL SENTENCE
A mathematical sentence is the
analogue of an English sentence; it is a
correct assignment of mathematical
symbols that states a complete thought.
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IDEAS REGARDING
MATHEMATICAL SENTENCE
• Mathematical Sentences have
verbs and connectives
• Truth of Sentences
The notion of truth (the
property of being true or false) is of
fundamental importance in the
mathematical language.
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HOW TO DECIDE WHETHER

SOMETHING IS A SENTENCE?
• Read it aloud, and ask yourself the question:
Does it state a complete thought? If YES, then it
is a sentence.
• You may also ask yourself the question: Does it
make sense to ask about the truth of it?
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THE GRAMMAR OF MATHEMATICS

It is the structural rules governing the use of

symbols representing mathematical
objects.
Express the following using
mathematical symbols
a. 5 is the square root of 25
b. 5 is less than 10
 EXERCISES
• A number increased by 7
•x+7
• Thrice a number added to 10
• 10 + 3X
• Sum of three consecutive integers
• X + (X + 1) + (X + 2)
• Ten less than four times a certain number
• 4X - 10
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SOME DIFFICULTIES IN MATH LANGUAGE

• The word "is" could mean equality, inequality or

membership in a set
• Different uses of a number; to express quantity (cardinal),
to indicate the order (ordinal), and as a label (nominal)
• Mathematical objects may be represented in many
ways, such as sets and functions
• The words "and' & "or" means different from its English use
 14

OBJECTS THAT WE USE IN MATH

• Numbers (4 operations and properties)
• Variables
• Operations (unary & binary)
FOUR BASIC CONCEPTS:
• Sets (relationships, operations, properties)
• Relations (Equivalence relations)
• Functions ( injective, Surjective , Bijective)
• Binary Operations
NUMBERS AND 4 OPERATIONS
15

Can you think of any more terms that you

can add to the mind map?
 MATHEMATICS BUILD A FOUNDATION OF BASIC
UNDERSTANDING IN:
• Number • Algebraic thinking
• Operation • Geometry and spatial
• Quantitative reasoning reasoning
• Patterns • Measurement
• Relations • Probability and statistics
 NUMBERS

• Ordering
• Labelling
• Expressing quantities and relationships to solve
problems
• Translate informal language into mathematical
language and symbols
 THEN
• Collect
• Organize display data
• Make summary and
conclusion
 MATHEMATICS AS ONE

• Progresses
• Centers on proofs
• Argumentation
• Personal perspective
and insights
• Convincing people and
making them understand
 MATH HOLDS ON TO
DEFINITIONS
• The concept are defines properly
• Concise statement
• Basic
• Unambiguously identified
 EXAMPLE
• Good definition:
A rectangle is a quadrilateral whose all four angles are right
angles
 POOR DEFINITION:
A rectangle is a parallelogram in which the
diagonals have the same length and all the
angles are right angles. It can be inscribed in a
circle and its area is given by the product of two
adjacent sides.
 POOR DEFINITION:

A rectangle is a parallelogram whose

diagonals have equal lengths.
 BAD DEFINITION:

A rectangle is a quadrilateral with

right angles.
 UNACCEPTABLE DEFINITION:

Rectangle: has right angles.