Philippians 1:9-10

“And this is my prayer: that your love may

abound more and more in knowledge and depth
of insight, so that you may be able to discern
what is best and may be pure and blameless for
the day of Christ”
 MATHEMATICAL
LANGUAGE AND SYMBOLS
• At the end of this module, you must be able to: 

1. discuss the language, symbols,

and conventions used in
Mathematics;  

2. explain the nature of

Mathematics as a language;
 3. evaluate Mathematical
Expressions correctly;

4. recognize that Mathematics is

a useful language.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF MATHEMATICAL
LANGUAGE
• Precise - it is able to make very fine distinctions or definitions among a set
of mathematical symbols.
• Concise - mathematicians can express otherwise long expositions or
sentences briefly using the language of Mathematics.
• Powerful - one can express complex thoughts with relative ease.
• For example, consider the sentence “The sum of any two real numbers is
also a real number.”
• In mathematical notation, this declarative sentence can be written as: ∀𝑎,
𝑏 ∈ R, 𝑎 + 𝑏 ∈ R.
 Mathematics is a symbolic language. What are the
symbols of the following:
1. Summation 8. If…, then
2. There exists 9. Set of real numbers
3. For every 10. Set of positive integers
4. Element of 11. and
5. Subset 12. or
6. If and only if
7. Infinity
 MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE
• can describe a subset of the real world using only these symbols.
e.g., In Physics - Free falling bodies, speed, and acceleration; In
Biology - modelling diseases.
• It describes abstract structures. e.g., Pure Mathematics - Abstract
Algebra, Linear Algebra, Real Analysis, and Complex Analysis.

• Therefore, Mathematics is the language of the sciences, business,

economics, music, architecture, arts, and politics.
Expressions vs. Sentences
- 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.
Examples:
1. An ordered triple (a, b, c)
2. A matrix [1 3]
3. A function f(x)
 -A mathematical sentence is the analogue of an English
sentence; it is a correct arrangement of mathematical symbols
that states a complete thought.
Example 1: Write as English sentences and determine whether
they are true or false.
2
1. ∀x ∈ R, x > 0
2 2 2
2. ∀x, y∈ R, (x + y) = x + 2xy + y
3. ∃m, n ∈ Z, m – n < m + n
4. ∀a, b ∈ Q, ab = 0 a=0vb=0
Answers:
2
1. ∀x ∈ R, x > 0
For any real number x, its square is greater than or equal to 0.
2 2 2
2. ∀x, y∈ R, (x + y) = x + 2xy + y
For any real numbers x and y, the square of their sum is equal
to the sum of their squares plus twice their product.
3. ∃m, n ∈ Z, m – n < m + n
There exist integers m and n such that m minus n is less than or
equal to m plus n.

4. ∀a, b ∈ Q, ab = 0 a = 0 v b = 0
For any rational numbers a and b, if their product is zero then
either a or b equals o.
Example 1. Write as English sentences and determine
whether they are true or false.
1. ∀x ∈ R, ∃y∈ R, x + y = 10
2. ∀x ∈ Z+, ∃y∈ R, y2 = x
Example 2: Write as mathematical sentences. Discuss how the
word “is” is used.
1. Five is the square root of 25.
2. Five is greater than four.
3. Five is an odd number.
Types of Numbers
Cardinal numbers – are used for counting and
answer the question ”how many”
Ordinal numbers – tell the position of a thing in
terms of first, second, third, etc.
Nominal numbers – are used only as a name or to
identify something. Examples are zip codes, ID
number, etc.
Two general classes of operators
1. Unary operators – operates on only one operand.
Examples of Unary operators:
– (negative); +(positive)
Examples of Unary operations:
–5; +4 or 4; sin x; ⎷10
 UNARY OPERATIONS
• In summary, unary operations involve only one value.
More examples of unary operations:
• Negation: −5
• Trigonometric functions: 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑥, 𝑐𝑜𝑠45, 𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝜋3
• Single-variable function: 𝑓(𝑥)
• Factorial: 8!
• Transpose of a matrix: 𝐴𝑇
Binary operators – operates on two operand.
Examples of binary operators:
– (subtraction); +(addition)
Examples of binary operations:
4 + 5 = 9; 3 * 6 = 18
Binary operation takes two real numbers as arguments to
produce another real number.
Properties of Binary Operations for addition and multiplication.
1. Closure property
2. Commutative property
3. Associative property
4. Distributive property
5. Identity elements
6. Inverses
Properties of Binary Operations for addition and
multiplication.
1. Closure property
∀x, y ∈ R, x + y ∈ R and y * x ∈ R

2. Commutative property
∀ x, y ∈ R, x + y = y + x
∀ x, y ∈ R, x * y = y * x
 3. Associative property
∀x, y, z ∈ R, (x + y) + z = x + (y + z)

∀x, y, z ∈ R, (x * y) * z = x * (y * z)

4. Distributive property
∀x, y, z ∈ R,  z(x + y) = zx + zy
 5. Identity elements
∀ x ∈ R, x + e = e + x = x
Identity element for addition is ___.

∀ x ∈ R, x * e = e * x = x
Identity element for multiplication is ___.
 6. Inverses
∀ x ∈ R, x + (-x) = - x + x = 0
Additive inverse is ___.

∀ x ∈ R, x * (1/x) = (1/x) * x = 1

Multiplicative inverse is ___.
 QUANTIFIERS
• Quantifiers are used to describe the variable(s) in a
statement.
• Types:
• Universal Quantifiers ∀ “for all” or “for every”
• Existential Quantifiers ∃ “there exists” or “for some”
 UNIVERSAL QUANTIFIER
• In a statement, the words none, no, all, and every are called
universal quantifiers. The universal quantifiers none and no
deny the existence of something, whereas the universal
quantifiers all and every are used to assert that every element
of a given set satisfies some condition.

• Example: ∀x ∈ R, x2 > 0
• “For any real number x, its square is greater than 0.”
 EXISTENTIAL QUANTIFIER
• In a statement, the word some and the phrases there exists and
at least one are called existential quantifiers. Existential
quantifiers are used as prefixes to assert the existence of
something.

• Example: ∃m, n ∈ Z, m – n < m + n

• “There exist integers m and n such that m minus n is less than or
equal to m plus n.”
 COMPOUND QUANTIFIERS

• When more than one quantifier for a certain statement.

• Order does not matter if we are using the same quantifier. i.e., ∀𝑥,
∀𝑦, 𝑃(𝑥, 𝑦) = ∀𝑦∀𝑥, 𝑃(𝑥. 𝑦)

• Order is definitely important for mixed quantifiers. i.e., ∀𝑥∃𝑦,

𝑃(𝑥, 𝑦) ≠ ∃𝑦∀𝑥, 𝑃(𝑥, 𝑦)