Conventions in Mathematics, Some Commonly Used Symbols, Its Meaning, And An Example

• Sets and Logic

SYMBOL NAME MEANING EXAMPLE

∪ Union Union of set A and set B 𝐴∪𝐵

∩ Intersection Intersection of set A and set B 𝐴∩𝐵

∈ Element x is an element of A 𝑥∈𝐴

∉ Not an element of x is not an element of set A 𝑥∉𝐴

{} A set of.. A set of an element {𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 }

⊂ Subset A is a subset of B 𝐴⊂𝐵

⊄ Not a subset of A is not a subset of B 𝐴⊄𝐵

There are still other items to
… Ellipses 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐, …
follow
⋀ Conjunction A and B 𝐴⋀𝐵

⋁ Disjunction A or B 𝐴⋁𝐵

∼ Negation Not A ∼𝐴
Implies (If-then
→ If A, then B 𝐴→𝐵
statement)
↔ If and only if A if and only if B 𝐴↔𝐵

∀ For all For all x ∀𝑥

∃ There exist There exists an x ∃𝑥

∴ Therefore Therefore C ∴𝐶

| Such that x such that y 𝑥|𝑦

∎ End of proof ∎
Congruence / A is equivalent to B 𝐴≡𝐵
≡
equivalent a is congruent to b modulo n 𝑎 ≡ 𝑏 𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑛
𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐, … 𝑧 Variables (𝑎𝑥0 )𝑝 (5𝑥2 )6
• Basic Operations and Relational Symbols
SYMBOL NAME MEANING EXAMPLE
a plus b
+ Addition; Plus sign a added by b 𝑎+𝑏
a increased by b
a subtracted by b
− Subtraction; minus sign a minus b 𝑎−𝑏
a diminished by b
𝑎∙𝑏
∙ a multiply by b
Multiplication sign 𝑎 (𝑏 )
() a times b
𝑎𝑏
÷ the quotient of a and b 𝑎÷𝑏
Division sign; divides
/ a divided by b 𝑎/𝑏
∘ Composition of function f of g of x 𝑓 ∘ 𝑔(𝑥)
a is equal to b 𝑎=𝑏
= Equal sign
b plus a equals a plus b 𝑏+𝑎 = 𝑎+𝑏
≠ Not equal to a is not equal to b 𝑎≠𝑏

> Greater than a is greater than b 𝑎>𝑏

< Less than a is less than b 𝑎<𝑏

≥ Greater than or equal to a is greater than or equal to b 𝑎≥𝑏

≤ Less than or equal to a is less than or equal to b 𝑎≤𝑏

∗ Binary operation a function mapping 𝐴 𝑥𝐴 → 𝐴 𝑎∗𝑏

• Set of Numbers
SYMBOL NAME MEANING EXAMPLE
natural numbers / whole
ℕ0 ℕ0 = {0,1,2,3,4, … } 0 ∈ ℕ0
numbers set (with zero)
natural numbers / whole
ℕ1 numbers set (without ℕ1 = {1,2,3,4, … } 6 ∈ ℕ1
zero)
ℤ integer numbers set ℤ = {… , −2, −1,0,1,2, … } −9 ∈ ℤ
𝑎
ℚ rational numbers set ℚ = {𝑥|𝑥 = 𝑏 , 𝑎, 𝑏 ∈ ℤ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏 ≠ 0} 2/6 ∈ ℚ

ℝ real numbers set ℝ = {𝑥| − ∞ < 𝑥 < ∞} 3.14 ∈ ℝ

ℂ complex numbers set ℂ = {𝑥|𝑥 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑖, −∞ < 𝑎 < ∞, −∞ < 𝑏 < ∞} 7 + 3𝑖 ∈ ℂ