MATHEMATICA

L LANGUANGE
AND SYMBOLS
LANGUAGE
 Important to understand and express one’s ideas.
 Transmitter of information and knowledge.
 It helps us to construct social identity.
 Misunderstanding of one’s language leads to confusion and misconceptions.
 Mathematics has its own language.
 Systematic way of communicating with other people by the use of sounds and
conventional symbols.
 It was designed so we can write about things (numbers, sets, functions, etc.)
 Mathematics language consists of structural rules governing the use of symbols
representing mathematical objects.
VOCABULARY OF MATHEMATICS
 The 10 digits:
 Symbols for operations and sets:
 Symbols that “stands in” :
 Special symbols:
 Set notations:
Often (but not always) letters are used in a
mathematical statement. And these letters have
special uses:
  EXAMPLES WHAT THEY USUALLY MEAN

Start of the alphabet: a, b, c, … Constants (fixed values)

From I to n: i, j, k, l, m, n Positive integers (for counting)

End of the alphabet: … , x, y, z Variables (unknowns)

 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE
 PRECISE (able to make very fine distinctions of definition)
 CONCISE (able to say things briefly)
 POWERFUL (able to express complex thoughts with
relative ease)

Note: To fully understand language we need to know the difference

between English sentences and English expression.
 English Expression / Mathematical
Expression
 is a name given to a mathematical object of interest.
It simply means, it is a word/s, phrase/s, name/s that don’t convey a
complete thought
Example:
English Expression Mathematical Expression
Dog X (x)(y)
Running along 1 y–2
Linda x+1
 English Sentence / Mathematical
Sentences
 Must state a complete thought
Example:
English Sentence Mathematical Sentence

The teacher talks in front of x = 2 (x)(y) = (y)(x)

the class. 1+1=4 y–2=8
A dog barking loudly. x+1=0
Note: In English sentence, there is a certain verb or a linking
verb “is” to be identified and in Mathematical sentence, the “=”
sign is verb
TRANSLATION
KEYWORDS:
THAN
FROM start writing from right to left
TO

BY
start writing from left to right
AND
 Example: (Let N be the number)
 A number increased by 4
 The clue word is by, so start from L-R
Ans. N + 4
 A number less than 6
6–N
Seven less than a number is 15.

17 more than some number is 57.

The sum of 5 and product of 7 and x

The total of 5 and c

The sum of a number and 16 is 23.