Colegio de San Gabriel Arcangel of Caloocan, Inc.

Phase 10 Package 6 Blk 1 Lots 2-4, Bagong Silang, Caloocan City

MODULE I: MATHEMATICS as a LANGUAGE

(Week 1-2)

I. INTRODUCTION
Mathematics has been given different definitions. People have viewed it as a set
of problem-solving tools, as a language, as a study of patterns, as an art, or as a
process of thinking, among others.
Mathematics is defined as the study of numbers and arithmetic operations.
Others describe mathematics as a set of tools or a collection of skills that can be
applied to questions of “how many” or “how much”. Still, others view it is a science
which involves logical reasoning, drawing conclusions from assumed premises, and
strategic reasoning based on accepted rules, laws, or probabilities. Whatever point of
view is taken, there is no denying the fact that mathematics is universal. (Nocon, Rizaldi C.
and Nocon, Ederlina G. (2018) Essential Mathematics for the Modern World)

II. WARM-UP ACTIVITY

A. If you think the statement is correct, write AGREE, otherwise, write DISAGREE.

_____1. In mathematical language, a mathematical expression is considered as a noun.

_____2. Just like English sentences, mathematical sentences have verbs too.
_____3. Mathematics is a language with its own parts of speech.
_____4. “5 + 8 = 13” is a mathematical sentence.
_____5. “+ “symbol is an example of verb in mathematics.

LESSON I
Mathematics as a Language

Not understanding a language can create a lot of stress. Just imagine yourself
cast into a situation where usual communication modes are severed. Things
that were once trivial become incredibly difficult.
The language of mathematics is one that many people don’t understand, and
this creates a lot of stress. Smart people have trouble with lots of mathematical
ideas: not necessarily because the ideas are hard, but because they are being
presented in a foreign language.
 Language is “a systematics means of communicating by the use of sounds or
conventional symbols” (Chen, 2010, p. 353). It is the code humans use as form of expressing
themselves and communicating with others. It may also be defined as a system of words used
in a particular discipline.
These definitions describe language in terms of the following components:
1. a vocabulary of symbols or words.
2. a grammar consisting of rules on the use of these symbols.
3. a community of people who use and understand these symbols.
4. a range of meanings that can be communicated with these symbols.
Since all of the aforementioned components are found in mathematics, it also qualifies
as a language.
Although Mathematics and the English language have many things in common in terms
of structure, the rules in mathematics are stricter and some forms are more complicated. The
following items summarize some unique characteristics of the mathematical language.
1. It is precise because it can be stated clearly.
2. It is concise because it can be stated briefly.
3. It is powerful because it is capable of expressing complex ideas into simpler forms.
4. It is nontemporal (i.e., it has no tenses) which makes it so unique as compared to
other languages.
5. It also has vocabulary and parts of speech.

PARTS OF SPEECH FOR MATHEMATICS

Every language has its vocabulary (the words), and its rules for combining these
words into complete thoughts (the sentences). Mathematics is no exception. As
a first step in discussing the mathematical language, we will make a very broad
classification between the ‘nouns’ of mathematics (used to name mathematical
objects of interest) and the ‘sentences’ of mathematics (which state complete
mathematical thoughts) Just like any ordinary language, mathematics also has syntax and
structure which can be categorized into five forms.
1. Numbers – are very first symbols that can be used to represent quantity. These are
nouns (objects) in the English language.
2. Operation symbols like (+, , ^, and ) can act as connectives in a mathematical
sentence.
3. Relation symbols such as (=, ≤, and ~❑ ) are used for comparison and act as verbs in
that mathematical language.
4. Grouping symbols such as (), { }, and [ ] are used to associate groups of numbers
and operators.
5. Variables – are letters that represent quantities and act as pronouns.
A mathematical expression refers to objects of interest acting as the subject in the
ordinary language. A sentence with a complete thought is a mathematical sentence which can
be regarded as true or false.
Example 1.
A. The following are examples of mathematical expressions:
4, -5, 5 + 2, 2e (all do not state complete thought).
 B. The following are mathematical sentences:
1. 5 plus 2 is equal to the square root of 49.
5 + 2 = √ 49 Here the symbol “+” is a connective while “=” is the verb. The
sentence is true.
2. 10 divided by 2 is less than 3.
10  2 < 3, The symbol “+” is a connective while the operator “<” acts as
the verb. The statement is false.
Example 2.
Which of the following are sentences?
a. Manila is the capital of the Philippines.
b. The province of Cavite.
c. The number 5 is a composite number.
d. (x + 1)2
e. √ x−1 = 3
Solution:
a. This is an English sentence with “is” as the verb. The truth value is T since it is true
that Manila is the capital of the Philippines.
b. This is not a complete thought because it does not contain any verb.
c. This is a mathematical sentence with “is” acting as verb. The statement is false.
d. This is just a mathematical expression which does not contain any relational symbols.
e. This is a mathematical sentence with symbol “=” acting as verb. This sentence is true
only for x = 10.
Three of the most common types of expressions are numbers, sets, and functions.
(These are like the people, places, and things in English.) The most common problem type
involving an expression is:
SIMPLIFY: (some expression)
To simplify an expression means to get a different name for the expression, that
in some way is simpler. FEWER SYMBOLS, FEWER OPERATIONS, BETTER SUITED FOR
CURRENT USE, PREFERRED STYLE/FORMAT,
A mathematical sentence is the analogue of an English sentence; it is a correct
arrangement of mathematical symbols that states a complete thought. It makes
sense to ask about the TRUTH of a sentence: Is it true? Is it false? Is it
sometimes true/sometimes false?
The sentence ‘1 + 2 = 3’ is read as ‘one plus two equals three’ or ‘one plus two
is equal to three’. A complete thought is being stated, which in this case is true.
The sentence is ‘diagrammed’ below:

A question commonly encountered, when presenting the sentence example ‘ 1 + 2 = 3’,

is the following: If ‘=’ is the verb, then what is the ‘+’?
 Here’s the answer. The symbol ‘+’ is a connective; a connective is used to ‘connect’
objects of a given type to get a ‘compound’ object of the same type. Here, the numbers 1 and
2 are ‘connected’ to give the new number 1 + 2. A familiar English connective for nouns is the
word ‘and’: ‘cat’ is a noun, ‘dog’ is a noun, ‘cat and dog’ is a ‘compound’ noun.
There are two primary ways to decide whether something is a sentence, or not:
• Read it aloud, and ask yourself the question: Does it state a complete thought? If the answer
is ‘yes’, then it’s a sentence. Notice that expressions do not state a complete thought.
Consider, for example, the number ‘1 + 2’. Say it aloud: ‘one plus two’. Have you stated a
complete thought? NO! But, if you say: ‘1 + 2 = 4’, then you have stated a complete (false)
thought.

• Alternately, you can ask yourself the question: Does it make sense to ask about the TRUTH
of this object? Consider again the number ‘1 + 2’. Is ‘1 + 2’ true? Is ‘1 + 2’ false? These
questions don’t make sense, because it doesn’t make sense to ask about the truth of an
expression!

EXERCISE I. Answer each question.

1. Find other names for the number “12” using the following symbols.
a. + _________________________________________
b.  _________________________________________
c. √ _________________________________________

2. The number ‘three’ has lots of different names. Give names satisfying the following
properties.
a) the ‘standard’ name
b) a name using a plus sign, +
c) a name using a minus sign, -
d) a name using a division sign, ÷

LESSON II
BASIC CONCEPTS OF MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE
DEFINITION:
SET - is a collection with the following property: given any object, either the object is in the
collection, or isn't in the collection.
Example:
Question: Is ‘the collection of some people’ a set?
Solution: ‘The collection of some people’ is not a set; it is too vague.
Is your teacher in this collection? Maybe or maybe not!
Question: Is the collection of numbers consisting of 3,6,9, 12…3,6,9, 12… a set?
Solution: Yes.
Is the number (say) 35, 983, 205, 119, 780, 238, 482, 108, 22235, 983, 205, 119, 780,2
38, 482, 108, 222 in this collection? Well, either it is (if divisible by 33) or isn't (if not divisible
by 33). Notice that it's not important whether you personally know whether the answer is YES
or NO; all that matters is that the answer is definitely YES or NO.
ELEMENTS, MEMBERS; FINITE SET; INFINITE SET
The objects in a set are called its elements or its members. If a set has n members,
where n is a whole number, then it is called a finite set. If a set is not finite, then it is infinite.
EXAMPLES:
{4,10} {4,10} is a finite set, with two members.
The number 44 is a member.
The number 1010 is a member.
The set {1,2, 3…} {1,2, 3…} is an infinite set.
The number 77 is an element of the set.
The number 30/2 is an element of the set. (The name we use doesn't matter!)
The number 0.25 is not an element of the set.
SYMBOLS USED IN CONNECTION WITH SETS:
The following symbols are used in connection with sets:
 { } are called braces.
They are used in list notation for sets (see below).
 ( ) are called parentheses. (Singular form is parenthesis.)
They are used in interval notation for sets.
 [ ] are called brackets.
They are used in interval notation for sets.
LIST NOTATION FOR SETS:

 List notation for sets is used whenever the elements of a set can be listed.
 Braces { } are used for list notation.
 Separate members of the set with commas.
 Use three dots …… to indicate that a pattern is to be repeated.
Be sure to list enough elements to clearly establish the pattern.
 For a finite set, the order that elements are listed doesn't matter.

EXAMPLES:
Here are six names for the same finite set:
{1,2,3} or {1,3,2} or {2,1,3} or {2,3,1} or {3,1,2} or {3,2,1}
The infinite set {0,1,2,3,…} contains all the whole numbers.
The finite set {0,1,2,…,1000} contains all the whole numbers between 00 and 1000.
The infinite set {2,1,0,…} contains all the integers that are less than or equal to 2.
These are very different sets!
Membership in a set:
Example:
The sentence ‘Let S= {1,2,3}’ is used to assign the name s to the set {1,2,3}.
The word ‘let’ is the key!
EXAMPLE:
Question: How would a mathematician say:
“Take the set {a,b,c,d}{a,b,c,d} and give it the name T”?
Solution: Let T={a,b,c,d}.

(The word ‘let’ is a vital part of this sentence!)

DEFINITION: empty set
The empty set is the unique set that has no members.
The empty set is denoted using either of these symbols: ∅ or {}
INTERVAL NOTATION:
 Interval notation is used to describe intervals of real numbers.
 Intervals of real numbers are infinite sets.
 Parentheses () are used when an endpoint is not included.
 Brackets [ ] are used when an endpoint is included.
 The ‘infinity’ symbol ∞∞ is used to denote that an interval extends forever to the right.
 The ‘negative infinity’ symbol −∞−∞ is used to denote that an interval extends forever to
the left.

 The numbers used in interval notation always go from left to right on the number line.
SUBSETS:
Roughly, a sub collection from a set is called a subset.
EXAMPLE:
Let S={a,b}.
Then:
 {a} is a subset (choose only the ‘a’)
 {b} is a subset (choose only the ‘b’)
 {a,b} is a subset (choose everything!)
 { } is a subset (choose nothing!)

DEFINITION: subset
Let S be a set.
Set B is called a subset of SS if any one of the following three conditions holds:

 B is the set SS itself

 B is the empty set
 each member of B is also a member of S

EXERCISE I. Answer each question.

1. Which one of the following sets is infinite?
a. the set of whole numbers less than 10
b. the set of prime numbers less than 10
c. the set of integers less than 10
d. the set of factors of 10

2. A is the set of factors of 12. Which one of the following is not a member of A?
a. 3 c. 4
b. 5 d. 6

3. X is the set of multiples of 3, Y is the set of multiples of 6, Z is the set of multiples of 9

Which one of the following is true? (⊂ means "subset").
a. X ⊂ Y c. Z ⊂ Y
b. X ⊂ Z d. Z ⊂ X

4. A is the set of positive factors of 6, B is the set of prime factors of 6, C is the set of
positive proper factors of 6, D is the set of positive factors of 3. Which one of the
following is true?
a. A = B c. B = C
b. A = C d. C = D

5. Which one of the following is the null set?

a. The set of subsets of the null set c. the set of even prime numbers
b. The set of factors of 7 d. The set of rational expressions for ∏
 FUNCTION
What is a Function?
A function relates an input to an output.

f(x) "f(x) = ... " is the classic way of writing a function.

And there are other ways, as you will see!

Input, relationship, Output

Three main parts: The input, the relationship, and the output.
Example: "Multiply by 2" is a very simple function.

Here are the three parts:

Input Relationship Output

0 ×2 0
1 ×2 2
7 ×2 14
10 ×2 20
... ... ...

For an input of 50, what is the output?

Some Examples of Functions

 x2 (squaring) is a function
 x3+1 is also a function
 Sine, Cosine and Tangent are functions used in trigonometry
Names
First, it is useful to give a function a name. The most common name is "f", but we can
have other names like "g" ... or even "marmalade" if we want. But let's use "f": f(x) = x 2
We say "f of x equals x squared" what goes into the function is put inside parentheses () after
the name of the function: So f(x) shows us the function is called "f", and "x" goes in and we
usually see what a function does with the input:
f(x) = x2 shows us that function "f" takes "x" and squares it.

Example: with f(x) = x2:

 an input of 4
 Becomes an output of 16.

In fact we can write f(4) = 16.

The "x" is Just a Place-Holder!

Don't get too concerned about "x", it is just there to show us where the input goes and what
happens to it.
It could be anything!

So this function:

f(x) = 1 - x + x2

Is the same function as:

 f(q) = 1 - q + q2
 h(A) = 1 - A + A2
 w(θ) = 1 - θ + θ2

The variable (x, q, A, etc) is just there so we know where to put the values:

f(2) = 1 - 2 + 22 = 3
Sometimes a function has no name, and we see something like: y = x2. A
function relates an input to an output. Saying "f(4) = 16" is like saying 4 is somehow related to
16. Or 4 → 16. Example: this tree grows 20 cm every year, so the height of the tree
is related to its age using the function h: h(age) = age × 20 So, if the age is 10 years, the
height is: h(10) = 10 × 20 = 200 cm

The Two Important Things!

1. "...each element..." means that every element in X is related to some element
in Y. We say that the function covers X (relates every element of it).

(But some elements of Y might not be related to at all, which is fine.)

2. “...exactly one..." means that a function is single valued. It will not
give back 2 or more results for the same input. So "f(2) = 7 or 9" is
not right!
"One-to-many" is not allowed, but "many-to-one" is allowed:

(one-to-many)   (many-to-one)
This is NOT OK in a function   But this is OK in a function

When a relationship does not follow those two rules then it is not a function ... it is still
a relationship, just not a function.

Vertical Line Test

 On a graph, the idea of single valued means that no vertical line ever crosses more than
one value. If it crosses more than once it is still a valid curve, but is not a function.
Ordered Pairs
And here is another way to think about functions: Write the input and output of a
function as an "ordered pair", such as (4, 16). They are called ordered pairs because the input
always comes first, and the output second: (input, output) so it looks like this: (x, f(x))
Example: (4, 16) means that the function takes in "4" and gives out "16"

Conclusion
 a function relates inputs to outputs
 A function takes elements from a set (the domain) and relates them to elements in a
set (the codomain).
 all the outputs (the actual values related to) are together called the range
 a function is a special type of relation where:
o every element in the domain is included, and
o any input produces only one output (not this or that)
 an input and its matching output are together called an ordered pair
 so a function can also be seen as a set of ordered pairs

EXERCISE 1: Answer the following. FUNCTION

1. Write an equation to represent the function from the following table of values:

a. y= -2x c. y= x+1

b. y= 2x d. y=x + 2

2. Write an equation to represent the function from the following table of values:

a. y=x + 3 c. y=4x

b. y=3x d. y=x-3

3. Which one of the following relations is not a function?

a. A c. C

b. B d. D
 4. A = {-3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3} f is a function from A to the set of whole numbers as defined in
the following table: what is the domain of f?

a. The set of integers c. {-3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3}

b. The set of whole numbers d. {0, 1, 4, 9}

5. Which one of these graphs does not illustrate a function?

a. A b. B c. C d. D

BINARY OPERATION

- An operation that needs two inputs.

A simple example is the addition operation "+":

In 2 + 3 = 5 the operation is "+", which takes two values (2 and 3) and gives the result 5

subtraction, multiplication and division are also binary operations, and there are many more.

The two inputs are called "operands". Also, a binary operation should take and return things
of the same type! In other words, the operands and the result must belong to the same Set.

An operation that has only one input is called a "unary operation".

Example: the square root function is a unary operation: √ (16) = 4 have just one input "16" to
produce an output of 4

TEST YOURSELF
I. Answer each question.
1. Find other names for the number “12” using the following symbols.
a. + ________________________________________
b.  _________________________________________
c. √ _________________________________________
2. The number ‘three’ has lots of different names. Give names satisfying the following
properties.
a) the ‘standard’ name
b) a name using a plus sign, +
c) a name using a minus sign, -
d) a name using a division sign, ÷
3. Classify the entries in the list below as:
• an English noun, or a mathematical expression
• an English sentence, or a mathematical sentence
1. cat __________
2. 2
3. The word ‘cat’ begins with the letter ‘k’. __________
4. 1 + 2 = 4 __________
5. 5 – 3 __________
6. 5 - 3 = 2 __________
7. The cat is black. __________
8. X __________
9. x = 1 __________
10. x - 1 = 0 __________

4. Classify if each item is an expression (E) or a sentence (S). Write your answer on the space
provided.
_____ a. pretty girl
_____ b. 3 + 4 = 4 + 3
_____ c. The word “vowel” starts with a consonant.
_____ d. 5 x 3
_____ e. 5 x 3 = 3 x 5
_____ f. Hayward got injured in the game.
_____ g. You and I
_____ h. 3x = 3
_____ i. 3x + 4y
_____ j. 1(5) = 5
_____ k. x ≤ 5
_____ l. Math is a language.

5. Identify the verb in each sentence. Determine whether the sentence is true or false.
a. EDSA is the longest road in Metro Manila.
Verb __________ True or False __________
b. The capital of Metro Manila is Quezon City.
Verb __________ True or False __________
c. 8(2) – 6 = √ 100
Verb __________ True or False __________
 d. π < 3
Verb __________ True or False __________
e. 4 – 5 = 5 – 4
Verb __________ True or False __________

II. Classify each entry as a mathematical expression (EXP), or a mathematical sentence

(SEN). Classify the truth value of each entry that is a sentence: (always) true (T);
(always) false (F); or sometimes true/sometimes false (ST/SF).
1
1.
2
2. x - 1
3. x – 1 = 3
4. 1 + 2 + x
5. x ÷ 3
6. x ÷ 3 = 2
7. 1 + 2 + x = x + 1 + 2
8. Use the English noun “ Julia ” in three sentences: one that is true, one that is false,
and one whose truth cannot be determined without additional information.
9. Use the mathematical expression “3” in three sentences: one that is true, one that is
false, and one whose truth cannot be determined without additional information.
10. Use the mathematical expression “x” in three sentences: one that is always true,
one that is always false, and one whose truth cannot be determined without additional
information.
III. Answer the following:
1. Let I = {z, u}, list all the subsets of I.
2. In interval notation, what symbol is used when an endpoint is not to be included?
3. Can sets have different names?
4. What name is given to sets that are not infinite?
5. How should this sentence be read aloud?
6. Is {ø} the empty set?
7. What name is given to these grouping symbols?
8. When is list notation for sets used?
9. What is the symbol € used for?
10. Does it matter what order you list the elements of a finite set?
11. In interval notation, what are ( ) used for?
12. How should this sentence be read aloud? f € T
13. Are the symbols [ ] used for list notation or interval notation for sets?
14. Is the following set finite or infinite? {h, u, c, v, q, e, i, g, b}
15. Give another name for this set {3, 6, 4}
16. Give a precise definition of the empty set.
17. Let P={z, x} Is { } a subset of P?
18. Write a pair of braces.
19. What name is given to a sub collection from a set?
20. What is interval notation used to describe?
IV. Answer the following:
1. Which one of the following is not a function?

2. Which relation is not a function?

3. The function f is defined on the real numbers by f(x) = 2 + x − x2. What is the value of
f(-3)?
a. -10 b. -4 c. 8 d. 14

4.

5. Which one of the following is not a function?

References:
Earnhart and Adina (2018) Mathematics in the Modern World.
http://www.onemathematicalcat.org/cat_book.htm
https://www.mathsisfun.com/