Republic of the Philippines

DR. EMILIO B. ESPINOSA, SR. MEMORIAL STATE COLLEGE

OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
(Masbate State College)
CAWAYAN CAMPUS
www.debesmscat.edu.ph

SUBJECT: GE4- Mathematics in the Modern World

COURSE: BEED1A, BSED1A, BSED1B, BSIT ELT1, & BSIT ET1
DESCRIPTION: This course deals with nature of Mathematics, Appreciation of its Practical,
Intellectual, and Aesthetic Dimensions, and Application of Mathematical Tools in
daily life.
Instructor: SHARMAINE H. FLAVIANO
TOPIC: MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE AND SYMBOLS
Week #: #5-6
Hours: 6 hours
OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
 Discuss the language, symbols, and conventions used in mathematics;
 Recognize that mathematics is a useful language;
 Evaluate mathematical expression correctly.

CONTENT:
I. The Language of Mathematics
The language of mathematics is the system used by mathematicians to
communicate mathematical ideas among themselves, and is distinct from natural languages in that it
aims to communicate abstract, logical ideas with precision and unambiguity. This language consists of
a substrate of some natural language (e.g., English), using technical terms and grammatical conventions
that are peculiar to mathematical discourse. It is also supplemented by a highly specialized symbolic
notation for mathematical formulas.

The Vocabulary of Mathematics

Mathematical notation has assimilated symbols from many
different alphabets (e.g., Greek, Hebrew, Latin) and typefaces (e.g., cursive, calligraphic, blackboard
bold). It also includes symbols that are specific to mathematics, such as

Mathematical notation is central to the power of modern mathematics. Though

the algebra of Al-Khwārizmī did not use such symbols, it solved equations using many more rules than
are used today with symbolic notation, and had great difficulty working with multiple variables (which
through symbolic notation can be simply denoted as  x , y , z , etc.).
Sometimes, formulas cannot be understood without a written or spoken explanation, but often
they are sufficient by themselves. In other occasions, they can be difficult to read aloud or information is
lost in the translation to words, as when several parenthetical factors are involved or when a complex
structure like a matrix is manipulated.
Like any other discipline, mathematics also has its own brand of technical terminology. In some
cases, a word in general usage can have a different and specific meaning within mathematics (such as
the cases of "group", "ring", "field", "category", "term" and "factor"). In other cases, specialist terms,
such as "tensor", "fractal" and "functor", have been created exclusively for the use in mathematics.
Mathematical statements have their own moderately complex taxonomy, being divided
into axioms, conjectures, propositions, theorems, lemmas and corollaries. And there are stock phrases
in mathematics, used with specific meanings, such as "if and only if", "necessary and sufficient" and
"without loss of generality". Such phrases are known as mathematical jargon.[1]
The vocabulary of mathematics also has visual elements. Diagrams are used informally on
blackboards, as well as more formally in published work. When used appropriately, diagrams display
schematic information more easily. Diagrams can also help visually and aid intuitive calculations.
Sometimes, as in a visual proof, a diagram can even serve as complete justification for a proposition. A

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system of diagram conventions may evolve into a mathematical notation, such as the case of
the Penrose graphical notation for tensor products.

The Grammar of Mathematics

The mathematical notation used for formulas has its own grammar, not dependent on a specific
natural language, but shared internationally by mathematicians regardless of their mother tongues. This
includes the conventions that the formulas are written predominantly left to right, even when the
writing system of the substrate language is right-to-left, and that the Latin alphabet is commonly used
for simple variables and parameters.] A formula such as sin x +a cos 2 x ≥ 0sin sin❑
is understood by Chinese and Syrian mathematicians alike.
Such mathematical formulas can be a part of speech in a natural-language phrase, or even
assume the role of a full-fledged sentence. For example, the formula above, an inequation, can be
considered a sentence or an independent clause in which the greater than or equal to symbol has the
role of a symbolic verb. In careful speech, this can be made clear by pronouncing "≥" as "is greater than
or equal to", but in an informal context mathematicians may shorten this to "greater or equal" and yet
handle this grammatically like a verb. A good example is the book title Why does E = mc2?;[9] here,
the equals sign has the role of an infinitive.
Mathematical formulas can be vocalized (i.e., spoken aloud). The vocalization system for
formulas has to be learned, and is dependent on the underlying natural language. For example, when
using English, the expression "ƒ(x)" is conventionally pronounced "eff of eks", where the insertion of the
dy
preposition "of" is not suggested by the notation per se. The expression " ", on the other hand, is
dx
commonly vocalized like "dee-why-dee-eks", with complete omission of the fraction bar, which in other
contexts are often pronounced as "over". The book title Why does E = mc2? is said aloud as Why does ee
equals em see-squared?.
Characteristic for mathematical discourse – both formal and informal – is the use of
the inclusive first person plural "we" to mean: "the audience (or reader) together with the speaker (or
author)".

The Language Community of Mathematics

Mathematics is used by mathematicians, who form a global community composed of speakers
of many languages. It is also used by students of mathematics. As mathematics is a part of primary
education in almost all countries, almost all educated people have some exposure to pure mathematics.
There are very few cultural dependencies or barriers in modern mathematics. There are international
mathematics competitions, such as the International Mathematical Olympiad, and international co-
operation between professional mathematicians is commonplace.

Concise Expression
The power of mathematics lies in economy of expression of ideas, often in service to
science. Horatio Burt Williams took note of the effect of this compact form in physics:
Textbooks of physics of seventy-five years ago were much larger than at present. This in spite of the
enormous additions since made to our knowledge of the subject. But these older books were
voluminous because of minute descriptions of phenomena which we now recognize as what a
mathematician would call particular cases, comprehended under broad general principles. [11]:285
In mathematics per se, the brevity is profound:
In writing papers which will probably be read only by professional mathematicians, authors not
infrequently omit so many intermediate steps in order to condense their papers that the filling in of the
gaps even by industrious use of paper and pencil may become no inconsiderable labor, especially to one
approaching the subject for the first time.
Williams cites Ampère as a scientist that summarized his findings with mathematics:
The smooth and concise demonstration is not necessarily conceived in that finished form...We can
scarcely believe that Ampère discovered the law of action by means of the experiment which he
describes. We are led to suspect, what indeed, he tells us himself, that he discovered the law by some
process which he has not shewn us, and that when he had afterwards built up a perfect demonstration,
he removed all traces of the scaffolding by which he raised it. [11]:288,9
The significance of mathematics lies in the logical processes of the mind have been codified by
mathematics:

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Now mathematics is both a body of truth and a special language, a language more carefully defined and
more highly abstracted than our ordinary medium of thought and expression. Also it differs from
ordinary languages in this important particular: it is subject to rules of manipulation. Once a statement is
cast into mathematical form it may be manipulated in accordance with these rules and every
configuration of the symbols will represent facts in harmony with and dependent on those contained in
the original statement. Now this comes very close to what we conceive the action of the brain structures
to be in performing intellectual acts with the symbols of ordinary language. In a sense, therefore, the
mathematician has been able to perfect a device through which a part of the labor of logical thought is
carried on outside the central nervous system with only that supervision which is requisite to
manipulate the symbols in accordance with the rules. [11]:291
Williams' essay was a Gibbs Lecture prepared for scientists in general, and he was particularly
concerned that biological scientists not be left behind:
Not alone the chemist and physicist, but the biologist as well, must be able to read mathematical papers
if he is not to be cut off from the possibility of understanding important communications in his own field
of science. And the situation here is worse than it is in the case of inability to read a foreign language.
For a paper in a foreign language may be translated, but in many cases it is impossible to express in
ordinary language symbols the content of a mathematical paper in such a way as to convey a knowledge
of the logical process by which the conclusions have been reached.

The Meanings of Mathematics

Mathematics is used to communicate information about a wide range of different subjects. Here are
three broad categories:
1. Mathematics describes the real world: many areas of mathematics originated with attempts to
describe and solve real world phenomena - from measuring farms (geometry) to falling apples
(calculus) to gambling (probability). Mathematics is widely applied in
modern physics and engineering, and has been hugely successful in helping us to understand
more about the universe around us from its largest scales (physical cosmology) to its smallest
(quantum mechanics). Indeed, the very success of mathematics in this respect has been a source
of puzzlement for some philosophers (see The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in
the Natural Sciences by Eugene Wigner).
2. Mathematics describes abstract structures: on the other hand, there are areas of pure
mathematics which deal with abstract structures, which have no known physical counterparts at
all. However, it is difficult to give any categorical examples here, as even the most abstract
structures can be co-opted as models in some branch of physics (see Calabi-Yau
spaces and string theory).
3. Mathematics describes mathematics: mathematics can be used reflexively to describe itself—
this is an area of mathematics called metamathematics

Mathematics can communicate a range of meanings that is as wide as (although different from) that of a
natural language. As English mathematician R. L. E. Schwarzenberger says:
My own attitude, which I share with many of my colleagues, is simply that mathematics is a language.
Like English, or Latin, or Chinese, there are certain concepts for which mathematics is particularly well
suited: it would be as foolish to attempt to write a love poem in the language of mathematics as to
prove the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra using the English language.

Math Symbols List

List of all mathematical symbols and signs - meaning and examples.
Basic math symbols
Symbo
Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example
l

5 = 2+3
= equals sign Equality
5 is equal to 2+3

5≠4
≠ not equal sign Inequality
5 is not equal to 4

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Symbo
Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example
l

sin(0.01) ≈ 0.01,
approximately
≈ Approximation x ≈ y means x is approximately
equal
equal to y

5>4
> strict inequality greater than
5 is greater than 4

4<5
< strict inequality less than
4 is less than 5

5 ≥ 4,
≥ inequality greater than or equal to x ≥ y means x is greater than or
equal to y

4 ≤ 5,
≤ inequality less than or equal to x ≤ y means x is less than or equal
to y

calculate expression inside

() parentheses 2 × (3+5) = 16
first

calculate expression inside

[] brackets [(1+2)×(1+5)] = 18
first

+ plus sign Addition 1+1=2

− minus sign Subtraction 2−1=1

both plus and minus

± plus - minus 3 ± 5 = 8 or -2
operations

both minus and plus

± minus - plus 3 ∓ 5 = -2 or 8
operations

* asterisk Multiplication 2*3=6

× times sign Multiplication 2×3=6

⋅ multiplication dot Multiplication 2⋅3=6

division sign /
÷ Division 6÷2=3
obelus

/ division slash Division 6/2=3

— horizontal line division / fraction

mod modulo remainder calculation 7 mod 2 = 1

decimal point, decimal

. period 2.56 = 2+56/100
separator

ab power Exponent 23 = 8

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Symbo
Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example
l

a^b caret Exponent 2 ^ 3  = 8

√a square root √a  ⋅  √a    = a √9 = ±3

3 3
√a cube root √a  ⋅  3√a    ⋅  3√a    = a 3
√8 = 2

4 4
√a fourth root √a  ⋅  4√a    ⋅  4√a    ⋅  4√a    = a 4
√16 = ±2

n
√a n-th root (radical)   for n=3, n√8 = 2

% percent 1% = 1/100 10% × 30 = 3

‰ per-mille 1‰ = 1/1000 = 0.1% 10‰ × 30 = 0.3

ppm per-million 1ppm = 1/1000000 10ppm × 30 = 0.0003

ppb per-billion 1ppb = 1/1000000000 10ppb × 30 = 3×10-7

ppt per-trillion 1ppt = 10-12 10ppt × 30 = 3×10-10

Geometry symbols
Symbo
Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example
l

∠ angle formed by two rays ∠ABC = 30°

measured
  ABC = 30°
angle

spherical angle   AOB = 30°

∟ right angle = 90° α = 90°

° degree 1 turn = 360° α = 60°

deg degree 1 turn = 360deg α = 60deg

′ prime arcminute, 1° = 60′ α = 60°59′

″ double prime arcsecond, 1′ = 60″ α = 60°59′59″

Line infinite line  

AB line segment line from point A to point B  

Ray line that start from point A  

Arc arc from point A to point B

 = 60°

⊥ perpendicular perpendicular lines (90° angle) AC ⊥ BC

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Symbo
Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example
l

∥ parallel parallel lines AB ∥ CD

≅ congruent to equivalence of geometric shapes and size ∆ABC≅ ∆XYZ

~ similarity same shapes, not same size ∆ABC~ ∆XYZ

Δ triangle triangle shape ΔABC≅ ΔBCD

|x-y| distance distance between points x and y | x-y | = 5

π = 3.141592654...
π pi constant c = π⋅d = 2⋅π⋅r
is the ratio between the circumference and diameter of
a circle

rad radians radians angle unit 360° = 2π rad

c
radians radians angle unit 360° = 2π c

360° = 400
grad gradians / gons grads angle unit
grad

g
gradians / gons grads angle unit 360° = 400 g

Algebra symbols
Symbo
Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example
l

x x variable unknown value to find when 2x = 4, then x = 2

≡ equivalence identical to  

≜ equal by definition equal by definition  

:= equal by definition equal by definition  

approximately
~ weak approximation 11 ~ 10
equal

approximately
≈ Approximation sin(0.01) ≈ 0.01
equal

∝ proportional to proportional to y ∝ x when y = kx, k constant

∞ lemniscate infinity symbol  

≪ much less than much less than 1 ≪ 1000000

≫ much greater than much greater than 1000000 ≫ 1

() parentheses calculate expression inside first 2 * (3+5) = 16

[] brackets calculate expression inside first [(1+2)*(1+5)] = 18

6
Symbo
Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example
l

{} braces Set  

⌊x⌋ floor brackets rounds number to lower integer ⌊4.3⌋ = 4

⌈x⌉ ceiling brackets rounds number to upper integer ⌈4.3⌉ = 5

x! exclamation mark factorial 4! = 1*2*3*4 = 24

| x | vertical bars absolute value | -5 | = 5

f  (x) function of x maps values of x to f(x) f  (x) = 3x+5

function
(f ∘ g) (f ∘ g) (x) = f  (g(x)) f  (x)=3x,g(x)=x-1 ⇒(f ∘ g)(x)=3(x-1)
composition

(a,b) open interval (a,b) = {x | a < x < b} x∈ (2,6)

[a,b] closed interval [a,b] = {x | a ≤ x ≤ b} x ∈ [2,6]

∆ delta change / difference ∆t = t1 -  t0

∆ discriminant Δ = b2 - 4ac  

summation - sum of all values in

∑ sigma ∑  xi= x1+x2+...+xn
range of series

∑∑ sigma double summation

product - product of all values in

∏ capital pi ∏  xi=x1∙x2∙...∙xn
range of series

e constant /
e e = 2.718281828... e = lim (1+1/x)x , x→∞
Euler's number

Euler-Mascheroni
γ γ = 0.5772156649...  
constant

φ golden ratio golden ratio constant  

π = 3.141592654...
π pi constant is the ratio between the c = π⋅d = 2⋅π⋅r
circumference and diameter of
a circle

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Linear Algebra Symbols
Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

· Dot scalar product a  ·  b

× Cross vector product a  ×  b

A⊗B tensor product tensor product of A and B A ⊗ B

inner product    

[] Brackets matrix of numbers  

() Parentheses matrix of numbers  

| A | Determinant determinant of matrix A  

det(A) Determinant determinant of matrix A  

|| x || double vertical bars Norm  

AT Transpose matrix transpose (AT)ij = (A)ji

A† Hermitian matrix matrix conjugate transpose (A†)ij = (A)ji

A* Hermitian matrix matrix conjugate transpose (A*)ij = (A)ji

A -1 inverse matrix A A-1 = I  

rank(A) matrix rank rank of matrix A rank(A) = 3

dim(U) Dimension dimension of matrix A dim(U) = 3

Probability and statistics symbols

Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

P(A) probability function probability of event A P(A) = 0.5

probability of events probability that of events A

P(A ⋂ B) P(A⋂B) = 0.5
intersection and B

probability of events probability that of events A

P(A ⋃ B) P(A⋃B) = 0.5
union or B

conditional probability of event A

P(A | B) P(A | B) = 0.3
probability function given event B occurred

probability density
f  (x) P(a  ≤  x  ≤  b) = ∫ f  (x)  dx  
function (pdf)

cumulative
F(x) distribution function F(x) = P(X≤  x)  
(cdf)

μ population mean mean of population values μ = 10

expected value of random

E(X) expectation value E(X) = 10
variable X

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Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

conditional expected value of random

E(X | Y) E(X | Y=2) = 5
expectation variable X given Y

variance of random
var(X) variance var(X) = 4
variable X

variance of population
σ2 variance σ2  = 4
values

standard deviation of
std(X) standard deviation std(X) = 2
random variable X

standard deviation value of

σX standard deviation σX    =  2
random variable X

middle value of random

median
variable x

covariance of random
cov(X,Y) covariance cov(X,Y) = 4
variables X and Y

correlation of random
corr(X,Y) correlation corr(X,Y) = 0.6
variables X and Y

correlation of random
ρX,Y correlation ρX,Y = 0.6
variables X and Y

summation - sum of all

∑ summation
values in range of series

∑∑ double summation double summation

value that occurs most

Mo mode  
frequently in population

MR mid-range MR = (xmax+xmin)/2  

half the population is

Md sample median  
below this value

25% of population are

Q1 lower / first quartile  
below this value

50% of population are

median / second
Q2 below this value = median  
quartile
of samples

upper / third 75% of population are

Q3  
quartile below this value

x sample mean average / arithmetic mean x = (2+5+9) / 3 = 5.333

s  2 sample variance population samples s  2 = 4

9
 Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

variance estimator

population samples
sample standard
s standard deviation s = 2
deviation
estimator

zx standard score zx = (x-x) /  sx  

distribution of random
X  ~ distribution of X X  ~  N(0,3)
variable X

N(μ,σ2) normal distribution gaussian distribution X  ~  N(0,3)

equal probability in range

U(a,b) uniform distribution X  ~  U(0,3)
a,b 

exponential
exp(λ) f  (x)  = λe-λx , x≥0  
distribution

gamma(c,
gamma distribution f  (x)  = λ c xc-1e-λx / Γ(c), x≥0  
λ)

chi-square f  (x)  = xk/2-1e-x/2 / ( 2k/2 Γ(k/2)

χ 2(k)  
distribution )

F  (k1, k2) F distribution    

binomial
Bin(n,p) f  (k)  =  nCk  pk(1-p)n-k  
distribution

Poisson(λ) Poisson distribution f  (k)  = λke-λ / k!  

geometric
Geom(p) f  (k)  =  p(1-p)  k  
distribution

hyper-geometric
HG(N,K,n)    
distribution

Bernoulli
Bern(p)    
distribution

Combinatorics Symbols
Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

n! factorial n! = 1⋅2⋅3⋅...⋅n 5! = 1⋅2⋅3⋅4⋅5 = 120

P
n k permutation P   =  5! / (5-3)! = 60
5 3

C
n k

  combination C   =  5!/[3!(5-3)!]=10
5 3

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Set theory symbols
Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

A = {3,7,9,14},
{} Set a collection of elements
B = {9,14,28}

objects that belong to set A and

A∩B Intersection A ∩ B = {9,14}
set B

objects that belong to set A or set A∪B=

A∪B Union
B {3,7,9,14,28}

A is a subset of B. set A is included {9,14,28} ⊆

A⊆B Subset
in set B. {9,14,28}

A is a subset of B, but A is not

A⊂B proper subset / strict subset {9,14} ⊂ {9,14,28}
equal to B.

A⊄B not subset set A is not a subset of set B {9,66} ⊄ {9,14,28}

A is a superset of B. set A includes {9,14,28} ⊇

A⊇B Superset
set B {9,14,28}

proper superset / strict A is a superset of B, but B is not

A⊃B {9,14,28} ⊃ {9,14}
superset equal to A.

A⊅B not superset set A is not a superset of set B {9,14,28} ⊅ {9,66}

2A power set all subsets of A  

power set all subsets of A  

A={3,9,14},
A=B Equality both sets have the same members B={3,9,14},
A=B

all the objects that do not belong

Ac Complement  
to set A

A = {3,9,14},
objects that belong to A and not to
A\B relative complement B = {1,2,3},
B
A-B = {9,14}

A = {3,9,14},
objects that belong to A and not to
A-B relative complement B = {1,2,3},
B
A-B = {9,14}

A = {3,9,14},
objects that belong to A or B but
A∆B symmetric difference B = {1,2,3},
not to their intersection
A ∆ B = {1,2,9,14}

A = {3,9,14},
objects that belong to A or B but
A⊖B symmetric difference B = {1,2,3},
not to their intersection
A ⊖ B = {1,2,9,14}

a∈A element of, set membership A={3,9,14}, 3 ∈ A

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Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

belongs to

x∉A not element of no set membership A={3,9,14}, 1 ∉ A

(a,b) ordered pair collection of 2 elements  

set of all ordered pairs from A and A×B = {(a,b)|

A×B cartesian product
B a∈A , b∈B}

|A| Cardinality the number of elements of set A A={3,9,14}, |A|=3

#A Cardinality the number of elements of set A A={3,9,14}, #A=3

| vertical bar such that A={x|3<x<14}

infinite cardinality of natural

aleph-null  
numbers set

cardinality of countable ordinal

aleph-one  
numbers set

Ø empty set Ø={} C = {Ø}

universal set set of all possible values  

natural numbers / whole

0 0 = {0,1,2,3,4,...} 0 ∈  0
numbers  set (with zero)

natural numbers / whole

1 1 = {1,2,3,4,5,...} 6 ∈  1
numbers  set (without zero)

integer numbers set  = {...-3,-2,-1,0,1,2,3,...} -6 ∈ 

rational numbers set  = {x  |  x=a/b, a,b∈ } 2/6 ∈ 

real numbers set  = {x | -∞ <  x  <∞} 6.343434∈

 = {z  |  z=a+bi, -∞<a<∞,     

complex numbers set 6+2i ∈ 
-∞<b<∞}

Logic symbols
Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

⋅ And And x ⋅ y

^ caret / circumflex And x ^ y

& Ampersand And x & y

+ Plus Or x + y

∨ reversed caret Or x ∨ y

| vertical line Or x | y

x' single quote not - negation x'

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 Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

x Bar not - negation x

¬ Not not - negation ¬ x

! exclamation mark not - negation ! x

⊕ circled plus / oplus exclusive or - xor x ⊕ y

~ Tilde Negation ~ x

⇒ Implies    

⇔ Equivalent if and only if (iff)  

↔ Equivalent if and only if (iff)  

∀ for all    

∃ there exists    

∄ there does not exists    

∴ Therefore    

∵ because / since    

Calculus & analysis symbols

Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

Limit limit value of a function  

represents a very small

ε Epsilon ε  →  0
number, near zero

e = lim
e e constant / Euler's number e = 2.718281828...
(1+1/x)x , x→∞

derivative - Lagrange's
y ' derivative (3x3)' = 9x2
notation

y '' second derivative derivative of derivative (3x3)'' = 18x

y(n) nth derivative n times derivation (3x3)(3) = 18

derivative derivative - Leibniz's notation d(3x3)/dx = 9x2

second derivative derivative of derivative d2(3x3)/dx2 = 18x

nth derivative n times derivation  

derivative by time - Newton's

time derivative  
notation

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Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

time second derivative derivative of derivative  

Dx  y derivative derivative - Euler's notation  

Dx2y second derivative derivative of derivative  

partial derivative   ∂(x2+y2)/∂x = 2x

∫ integral opposite to derivation ∫ f(x)dx

integration of function of 2
∫∫ double integral ∫∫ f(x,y)dxdy
variables

integration of function of 3
∫∫∫ triple integral ∫∫∫ f(x,y,z)dxdydz
variables

∮ closed contour / line integral    

∯ closed surface integral    

∰ closed volume integral    

[a,b] closed interval [a,b] = {x  |  a  ≤  x  ≤  b}  

(a,b) open interval (a,b) = {x  |  a  <  x  <  b}  

i imaginary unit i ≡ √-1 z = 3 + 2i

z* complex conjugate z  =  a+bi → z*=a-bi z* = 3 - 2i

z complex conjugate z  =  a+bi → z  =  a-bi z = 3 - 2i

Re(z) real part of a complex number z = a+bi → Re(z)=a Re(3 - 2i) = 3

imaginary part of a complex

Im(z) z = a+bi → Im(z)=b Im(3 - 2i) = -2
number

absolute value/magnitude of a
| z | |z| = |a+bi| = √(a2+b2) |3 - 2i| = √13
complex number

The angle of the radius in the

arg(z) argument of a complex number arg(3 + 2i) = 33.7°
complex plane

gradient / divergence
∇ nabla / del ∇f (x,y,z)
operator

Vector    

unit vector    

x  *  y convolution y(t) = x(t) * h(t)  

Laplace transform F(s) =  {f  (t)}  

Fourier transform X(ω) =  {f  (t)}  

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 Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

δ delta function    

∞ lemniscate infinity symbol  

Numeral symbols
Name Western Arabic Roman Eastern Arabic Hebrew

Zero 0   ٠  

One 1 I ١ ‫א‬

Two 2 II ٢ ‫ב‬

Three 3 III ٣ ‫ג‬

Four 4 IV ٤ ‫ד‬

Five 5 V ٥ ‫ה‬

Six 6 VI ٦ ‫ו‬

Seven 7 VII ٧ ‫ז‬

Eight 8 VIII ٨ ‫ח‬

Nine 9 IX ٩ ‫ט‬

Ten 10 X ١٠ ‫י‬

Eleven 11 XI ١١ ‫יא‬

Twelve 12 XII ١٢ ‫יב‬

Thirteen 13 XIII ١٣ ‫יג‬

Fourteen 14 XIV ١٤ ‫יד‬

Fifteen 15 XV ١٥ ‫טו‬

Sixteen 16 XVI ١٦ ‫טז‬

Seventeen 17 XVII ١٧ ‫יז‬

Eighteen 18 XVIII ١٨ ‫יח‬

Nineteen 19 XIX ١٩ ‫יט‬

Twenty 20 XX ٢٠ ‫כ‬

Thirty 30 XXX ٣٠ ‫ל‬

Forty 40 XL ٤٠ ‫מ‬

Fifty 50 L ٥٠ ‫נ‬

Sixty 60 LX ٦٠ ‫ס‬

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 Name Western Arabic Roman Eastern Arabic Hebrew

Seventy 70 LXX ٧٠ ‫ע‬

Eighty 80 LXXX ٨٠ ‫פ‬

Ninety 90 XC ٩٠ ‫צ‬

one hundred 100 C ١٠٠ ‫ק‬

 
Greek alphabet letters
Upper Case Lower Case Greek Letter English Letter Name
Letter Letter Name Equivalent Pronounce

Α α Alpha A al-fa

Β β Beta B be-ta

Γ γ Gamma G ga-ma

Δ δ Delta D del-ta

Ε ε Epsilon E ep-si-lon

Ζ ζ Zeta Z ze-ta

Η η Eta H eh-ta

Θ θ Theta th te-ta

Ι ι Iota I io-ta

Κ κ Kappa K ka-pa

Λ λ Lambda L lam-da

Μ μ Mu M m-yoo

Ν ν Nu N noo

Ξ ξ Xi X x-ee

Ο ο Omicron O o-mee-c-ron

Π π Pi P pa-yee

Ρ ρ Rho R row

Σ σ Sigma S sig-ma

Τ τ Tau T ta-oo

Υ υ Upsilon U oo-psi-lon

Φ φ Phi ph f-ee

Χ χ Chi ch kh-ee

Ψ ψ Psi ps p-see

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 Ω ω Omega O o-me-ga

Roman numerals
Number Roman numeral

0 not defined

1 I

2 II

3 III

4 IV

5 V

6 VI

7 VII

8 VIII

9 IX

10 X

11 XI

12 XII

13 XIII

14 XIV

15 XV

16 XVI

17 XVII

18 XVIII

19 XIX

20 XX

30 XXX

40 XL

50 L

60 LX

70 LXX

80 LXXX

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 Number Roman numeral

90 XC

100 C

200 CC

300 CCC

400 CD

500 D

600 DC

700 DCC

800 DCCC

900 CM

1000 M

5000 V

10000 X

50000 L

100000 C

500000 D

1000000 M

 
II. Expressions Vs. Sentence
DEFINITION expression
An expression is the mathematical analogue of an English noun; it is a correct arrangement of
mathematical symbols used to represent a mathematical object of interest.

An expression does not state a complete thought;

it does not make sense to ask if an expression is true or false.

The most common expression types are numbers, sets, and functions.

Numbers have lots of different names: for example, the expressions

55 2+32+3 102102 (6−2)+1(6−2)+1 1+1+1+1+11+1+1+1+1

all look different, but are all just different names for the same number.

This simple idea—that numbers have lots of different names—is extremely important in mathematics!

DEFINITION 
A mathematical sentence is the analogue of an English sentence; it is a correct arrangement of
mathematical symbols that states a complete thought.

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Sentences have verbs.
In the mathematical sentence  ‘3+4=73+4=7’ , the verb is ‘==’.

A sentence can be (always) true, (always) false, or sometimes true/sometimes false.

For example, the sentence  ‘1+2=31+2=3’  is true.
The sentence  ‘1+2=41+2=4’  is false.
The sentence  ‘x=2x=2’  is sometimes true/sometimes false: it is true when xx is 22, and false otherwise.
The sentence  ‘x+3=3+xx+3=3+x’  is (always) true, no matter what number is chosen for xx.

EXAMPLES:

22 is an expression

1+11+1 is an expression

x+1x+1 is an expression

1+1=21+1=2 is a (true) sentence

1+1=31+1=3 is a (false) sentence

x+1=3x+1=3 is a (sometimes true/sometimes false) sentence

III. Fundamental of Logic

What Is Logic?

In Logic, the object of study is reasoning. This is an activity that humans engage in—when we
make claims and back them up with reasons, or when we make inferences about what follows from a
set of statements. Like many human activities, reasoning can be done well, or it can be done badly. The
goal of logic is to distinguish good reasoning from bad. Good reasoning is not necessarily effective
reasoning; in fact, as we shall see, bad reasoning is pervasive and often extremely effective—in the
sense that people are often persuaded by it. In Logic, the standard of goodness is not effectiveness in
the sense of persuasiveness, but rather correctness according to logical rules. In logic, we study the rules
and techniques that allow us to distinguish good, correct reasoning from bad, incorrect reasoning. Since
there is a variety of different types of reasoning, since it’s possible to develop various methods for
evaluating each of those types, and since there are different views on what constitutes correct
reasoning, there are many approaches to the logical enterprise. We talk of logic, but also of logics. A
logic is just a set of rules and techniques for distinguishing good reasoning from bad. There are many
logics; the purpose of this book is to give an overview of some of the most basic ones. So, the object of
study in logic is human reasoning, with the goal of distinguishing the good from the bad. It is important
to note that this approach sets logic apart from an alternative way of studying human reasoning, one
more proper to a different discipline: psychology. It is possible to study human reasoning in a merely
descriptive mode: to identify common patterns of reasoning and explore their psychological causes, for
example. This is not logic. Logic takes up reasoning in a prescriptive mode: it tells how we ought to
reason, not merely how we in fact typically do.

Basic Notions:

Propositions and Arguments Reasoning involves claims or statements—making them and

backing them up with reasons, drawing out their consequences. Propositions are the things we claim,
state, assert. Propositions are the kinds of things that can be true or false. They are expressed by
declarative sentences.2 ‘This book is boring’ is a declarative sentence; it expresses the proposition that

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this book is boring, which is (arguably) true (at least so far—but it’s only the first page; wait until later,
when things get exciting!

Other kinds of sentences do not express propositions. Imperative sentences issue commands:
‘Sit down and shut up’ is an imperative sentence; it doesn’t make a claim, express something that might
be true or false; either it’s obeyed or it isn’t. Interrogative sentences ask questions: ‘Who will win the
World Cup this year?’ is an interrogative sentence; it does not assert anything that might be true or false
either. Only declarative sentences express propositions, and so they are the only kinds of sentences we
will deal with at this stage of the study of logic. (More advanced logics have been developed to deal with
imperatives and questions, but we won’t look at those in an introductory textbook.) The fundamental
unit of reasoning is the argument. In logic, by ‘argument’ we don’t mean a disagreement, a shouting
match; rather, we define the term precisely: Argument = a set of propositions, one of which, the
conclusion, is (supposed to be) supported by the others, the premises. If we’re reasoning by making
claims and backing them up with reasons, then the claim that’s being backed up is the conclusion of an
argument; the reasons given to support it are the argument’s premises. If we’re reasoning by drawing an
inference from a set of statements, then the inference we draw is the conclusion of an argument, and
the statements from which its drawn are the premises. We include the parenthetical hedge—“supposed
to be”—in the definition to make room for bad arguments. Remember, in Logic, we’re evaluating
reasoning. Arguments can be good or bad, logically correct or incorrect. A bad argument, very roughly
speaking, is one where the premises fail to support the conclusion; a good argument’s premises actually
do support the conclusion. To support the conclusion means, again very roughly, to give one good
reasons for believing it. This highlights the rhetorical purpose of arguments: we use arguments when
we’re disputing controversial issues; they aim to persuade people, to convince them to believe their
conclusion. As we said, in logic, we don’t judge arguments based on whether or not they succeed in this
goal— there are logically bad arguments that are nevertheless quite persuasive. Rather, the logical
enterprise is to identify the kinds of reasons that ought to be persuasive (even if they sometimes aren’t)

TASK TO BE DONE

QUIZ #1

A. Write 20 Mathematical Symbols and use this symbol in an equation/expression.

B. Classify as an expression or a sentence:
−7
1. 10
2. y=−5
3. 2⋅16>−20
4. −19/9=−17
5. −14=2
m
6. 1
7. −4y
8. T
9. p−14=19
10. 10−8<−11
C. What are the Fundamentals of Logic?

References:

20
Baltazar, Ethel C.,Ragasa, Carmelita, Evangelista, Justina S. (2018)
Mathematics in the Modern World, C & E Publishing, Inc.

Aufman, Lockwood, Nation, Clegg, & Susanna S. Epp, Philippine Edition Mathematics in the Modern
World, Cengage Learning, Stanford USA
Auffman, R. et al.,(2015) Mathematical Excursions 3 rd Edition (international Edition),Cengage Learning,
Stanford USA

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