Mathematical symbols and notation

Equalities, functions
Symbol Meaning
= equation
x = y means: x and y are different names for the same, or they have the same value
:= definition
x := y means that x may be used instead of y
→ function-mapping
f : X → Y means: function f maps set X into set Y
7→ element mapping
x 7→ f (x) means that x is mapped onto f (x) , the image of x under f
Example: if f (x) = x2 we may write f : x 7→ x2

Logical symbols
Symbol Meaning
=⇒ implication
A =⇒ B means: if A is true, then also B
Remark: if A is not true, then nothing can be deduced from A =⇒ B
∧ conjunction; änd ”
A ∧ B is true, if and only if A is true AND B is true
∨ disjunction; ör ”
A ∨ B is true, if only A is true OR B is true
¬ negation; ”not ”
¬A is true if and only if A is not true

Quantifiers
Symbol Meaning
∀ universal quantifier; ”for all ”
∀x : P (x) means P (x) is true for all x
∃ existential quantifier; ëxists ”
Example: ∃n : n + 5 = 2n means: there is a number n such that n + 5 = 2n is true
Set theory
Symbol Meaning
{, } set
{a, b, c} is the set with elements (mathematical objects) a, b, and c.
{:} , {|} set description
{x : P (x)} means: all elements x such that P (x) is true
{x|P (x)} means the same as {x : P (x)}
∅ empty set 
Example: x : x2 < 0 = ∅
∈, ∈
/ element of, not element of
a ∈ A means: a is element of A; 1 ∈ {1, 2, 3}
a∈ / A means: a is not an element of A; 4 ∈ / {1, 2, 3}
⊂, ⊆ subset
A ⊆ B means that each element of A also belongs to B, a ∈ A =⇒ a ∈ B
A ⊂ B means A ⊆ B but not A = B; ∃b ∈ B : b ∈ /A
Example: {3} ⊂ {2, 3} , {3} * {1} ”not a subset of.. ”
∪ union
A ∪ B := {x : x ∈ A ∨ x ∈ B} ; the set consists of all elements of A and B but no other elements
Example: {1, 2, 3} ∪ {3, 4} = {1, 2, 3, 4}
∩ intersection
A ∩ B : {x : x ∈ A ∧ x ∈ B} ; the set consisting of all elements that are in A as well as in B
Example: {1, 2, 3} ∩ {3, 4} = {3}
\ Difference
A\B := {x : x ∈ A ∧ x ∈ / B}
Example: {2, 3, 4} \ {3, 4} = {2}
× Cartesian product
A × B is the set of all ordered pairs (a, b) with a ∈ A and b ∈ B
P (X) ,2X powerset; the set of all subsets of X
Example: X = {a, b} , 2X = {∅, {a} , {b} , {a, b}}

Numbers
Symbol Meaning
N natural numbers
N0 := {0, 1, 2, 3, . . .}
N or N+ means {1, 2, 3, . . .}
depending on the application N stands for N0 or N+
Z integers
Z := {. . . , −3, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3, . . .}
Q rational
 numbers
Q := ab : a, b ∈ Z, b 6= 0
R real numbers
R is the ’closure ’ of Q : limn→∞ an , an ∈ Q
R+ := {x ∈ R; x ≥ 0} set of nonnegative reals
R++ := {x ∈ R; x > 0} set of positive reals
R2 = R × R the plane
C complex numbers (will be discussed in BSc 2)
{a + bi : a, b ∈ R}