Mathematics Glossary A-M

Term

Definition

A
Absolute
Maximum

The maximum value of the function over its entire domain.

(See Global Maximum)

Absolute
Minimum

The minimum value of the function over its entire domain.

(See Global Minimum)

Absolute Value
Addition of
Functions

| |

The distance that a number is from zero on the number line.

This must always be either zero or positive.
function is

. The domain for this combination

, where A is the domain of function f, and B is

the domain of function g. Example if:

and

, then

Additive
Identity

The number which when added to any other number, results in

the other number. Zero(0) is the Additive Identity. (See Identity
Element)

Additive
Inverse

The number which when added to a certain number, results in

the Identity Element for Addition. (0)

Algebraic
Expression

An expression which has at least one variable in it.

Algebraic
Function

A function which can be built using any algebraic operations.

Rational functions all qualify, and in addition any roots can be
included in the numerator and/or denominator.

Antiderivative

An antiderivative of f is a function F such that F' = f.

Asymptote

A linear boundary which a graph approaches, but never

touches. In the function
, both the x-axis and yaxis are asymptotes of the function.

Associative
Property

a+(b+c)=(a+b)+c. How you group items makes no difference

in the outcome.

B
Bezier Curves

Special parametric curves that are often used in manufacturing,

and in describing the shape of characters sent to laser printers.
Bezier curves "smoothly" connect a set of points.

Biconditional

An "If-Then" Statement that is true in both directions.

(Statement)

Sample conditional statement: p q. This be thought of as If

p, then q AND If q then p. It is often presented as p "if and
only if" q (sometimes shown as iff). The biconditional
statement is only true when both p and q have the same truth
values.

C
Cardinality (of
a set)

The number of elements in a set.

Example: A={4,6,-9,12}
n(A)=4 (because there are 4 elements in set A)

Closed Interval

An Interval which includes both

endpoints
.
Another way to write this interval above is: [a,b]. The
"squared" brackets indicate that a and b are to be included.

Closed Interval
Method

To find the absolute maximum and minimum values of a

continuous function f on a closed interval [a,b]:
1. Find the values of f at the critical numbers of f in (a,b)
2. Find the values of f at the endpoints of the interval.
3. The largest of the values from Steps 1 and 2 is the absolute
maximum value; and the smallest of these values is the
aboslute minimum value.

Closure
Property

If two elements of a set can be combined using an operation

and a third number from that same set always results, then the
set is said to be closed under that operation.

Coefficient

The numerical parts of an expression. They are usually thought

of as the numbers multiplied by the variables. But constants
can also be coefficients because they can be thought of as
being multiplied by some variable to the zero power.

Collinear

Points which all lie in a straight line.

Column Matrix

A matrix with only 1 column.

Common
Binomial
(Factoring)
Common
Monomial
(Factoring)
Commutative
Property

ab=ba. What order you use in your calculation makes no

difference in the outcome.

Complement
(of set A)

The set of elements in the universal set that are not in set A.

Completing the
Square
Complex
Numbers
Composition of
Functions

Solving an unfactorable quadratic equation by creating a

perfect square trinomial, so that the method of taking the
square root of both sides of the equation can be used.
C
The composition of functions has the seconf function
substituted into the first function.
. The
domain for this combination function is
, where A is the
domain of function f, and B is the domain of function g.
Example if:

and

then
Conditional
(Statement)

An "If-Then" Statement. The "If" section has the condition

which has to be met, and the "Then" section has what results if
the condition is true. If the condition is false, there is no
action.
Sample conditional statement: p q. This is read If p, then q.
A conditional statement will only be false when p is true and q
is false. Otherwise, it is true.
A binomial factor which together with the original binomial
factor have a product which is the difference of two squares.

Conjugate

(a-b) is the conjugate of (a+b). Complex conjugates have a

product which is the sum of two squares.
.
(a-bi) is the conjugate of (a+bi)

Constant

a,b Monomials that contain no variables.

Constant
Function

A function for which the entire range has a constant

Continuous

A function is continuous at a number a

value.

, where c is a constant.

if
Three things must take place for this to be true:
1) a must be in the domain of f,
2)
3)

exists, and

Continuous
from the left

A function is continuous from the left

if

Continuous
from the right

(This is called a left-hand limit.

A function is continuous from the right

if

(This is called a right-hand limit.

Continous on
an interval

A function is continuous on an interval if it is continuous at

every point of the interval. At the endpoints of the interval, the
function must be continuous from right (at the right end) and
continuous from the left (at the left end).

Coordinates

Each point in the coordinate plane corresponds to an ordered

pair of numbers called its coordinates.

Coordinate
Plane

The plane determined by two perpendicular axes.

Cramer's Rule
The solution to the system:

is:

Critical
Number

A critical number of a function f is a number c in the domain of

f such that either f'(c)=0 or f'(c) does not exist.

Cubic Function

A polynomial of degree 3 is of the

form:

Cycloid

A curve traced out by a point on the circumference of a circle

as the circle rolls along a straight line.

D
Degree of
Monomial

The sum of the exponents of its variables. The degree of a nonzero constant is zero. The constant zero has no degree.

Degree of
Polynomial

The degree of the term (monomial) which has the largest

degree of each of the individual terms (monomials).

Derivative

The slope of the tangent line to a curve at any instant a. This is

calculated by taking the slope of a secant line through the
curve, and then taking the limit of that secant slope as x gets
closer and closer to a. This is expressed
as:
. Another way to express this same
concept uses the letter h to symbolize the gap between the
point where the derivative is desired and a nearby point. Then
the derivative is expressed as:

Determinant

| | An operation perfomed on square matrices. A second order

determinant:

. A third order

determinant:
Difference of
Two Cubes
Difference of
Two Squares
Difference of
Two nth
Powers
Differentiable

A function is differentiable at c if f '(c) exists. To be

differentiable over an interval, it must be differentiable at every
point in the interval. Differentiate is the verb form of
derivative. For f '(c) to exist, f (c) must be defined
and

Dimensions

The number of rows and columns in the matrix. We always list

the number or rows first. A 4x7 matrix is a matrix with 4 rows
and 7 columns.

Discontinuous

A function which cannot be drawn with a writing device

without a gap or picking up of the writing device. There are
either separate parts of the graph, or a hole(s) in the graph.

Disjoint Sets

Sets with no elements in common. If sets A and B are disjoint,

then A B= .

Distance
Formula

Given the two points

and
calculated using the following
formula:
on the Pythagorean Theorem.

Distributive
Property

, the distance, d is
This formula is based

The multiplication "is distributed" over the

addition.

Division of
Functions

. The domain for this combination function

is

, where A is the domain of function f,

and B is the domain of function g. Example if:

and
Domain

, then

The set of all x-coordinates in a relation.

closed interval

E
Elements

The individual items or objects that are in sets

Elements

The individual values in a matrix.

Empty Set
Equal Matrices

{}

A set with no contents. (See Null Set)

Two matrices that have the same dimensions and their
corresponding elements are equal.

Equal Rights
Amendment for
Algebra

Whatever you do to one side of an equation, you must do the

same to the other side also.

Equal Rights
Amendment for
Algebra
(Inequalities)

For inequalities, the Equal Rights Amendment for Algebra

works the same except when multiplying or dividing both
sides by a negative. Then the inequality sign must be
reversed.

Equation

Two equal mathematical expressions.

Equivalent
(statements)

Two symbolic statements are equivalent to each other when

their truth values are identical.

Exclusive OR

Either of two statements can be true, but NOT BOTH. (See

Inclusive OR)

Exponential
Function

A function of the form

positive constant.

, where the base a is a

Example:
Expression

A mathematical statement using numbers, variables, and

operations.

Extraneous
Roots

Roots (or solutions) to a quadratic equation which have been

obtained by correct algebraic steps, but which do not check in
the original equation. Extraneous roots are not solutions.

Extreme Values

The absolute maximum and absolute minumum of a function.

Extreme Value
Theorem

If f is continuous over a , then it must attain an absolute

maximum and an absolute minimum in that interval.

F
Factorial

The factorial of a number is the number multiplied by every

integer less than the number down to 1. The symbol used for
factorial is "!". For example,

Fermat's
Theorem

If a function as a local maximum or local minimum at c, and

if f '(c) exists, then f '(c)=0.

Finite Set

A set whose cardinality is a finite number. (A set whose

number of elements is countable)

Formula
Function

A mathematical sentence that expresses the relationship

between certain quantities.
F(x)

A relation where each value of the domain has exactly one

corresponding element in the range.

G
Global
Maximum

The maximum value of the function over its entire domain.

(See Absolute Maximum)

Global
Minimum

The minumum value of the function over its entire domain.

(See Absolute Minimum)

H
Half-Open
Interval

An Interval which includes exactly one endpoint

Another
way to write this interval is: [a,b). The "squared" bracket
indicates that in the interval above a is to be included and the
rounded parenthesis indicates that b is the boundary, but is not
to be inlcuded.

Handshaking

Method of multiplying two polynomials. Each term of the

first polynomial must be multiplied by each term of the
second polynomial.

Horizontal Line
Test

A test for whether a relation is one-to-one. If the relation

never has a horizontal line intersect the graph in more than
one point, it passes the test and is one-to-one.

I
Identity
Element

The number which when operated on with any other number,

results in the other number. Zero(0) is the Identity Element
for Addition. (See Additive Identity) One (1) is the Identity
Element for Multiplication.

Identity Matrix

The identity matrix I for multiplication is a square matrix

with a 1 for every element of the principal diagonal (top left
to bottom right) and a 0 in all other positions.

Imaginary
Numbers

IM

Square roots of negative numbers. By definition,

Inclusive OR

Either of two statements can be true, or BOTH of them. (See

Exclusive OR)

Indeterminate
Form

In calculus when an expression is in a form where the limit

cannot be determined.

Inductive
Reasoning

The process of arriving at a general conclusion based on

repeated observations of specific examples.

Infinite

That which has no limit or end.

Infinite
Discontinuity

A discontinuity where the jump is infinite.

Infinite Set

A set which is equivalent to a proper subset of itself.

(Equivalence means that each element of the one set can be
put into a one-to-one correspondence with the other set)

Initial Point

The initial point of a parametric curve is the point which

represents the x and y values when the parameter takes on the
lowest value in its domain.

Integers

IN {...,-1,0,1,...}

Intersection

What is common between two sets

Interval

A mathematical expression of
"betweeness"
Another way to write this interval above is: [a,b]. The
"squared" brackets indicate that a and b are to be included.

Inverse of a
Function

The inverse of a function literally undoes the action of a

function. Every function has an inverse, but not every inverse
will be a function.

Inverse Matrix

The matrix which when multiplied by the original matrix

gives the identity matrix as the solution.

Irrational
Numbers

IR

Decimal Form: non-repeating,

non-terminating

Iteration

Iteration is the repeated application of a function or process in

which the output of each step is used as the input for the next
iteration. Iteration is an important tool for solving problems
(e.g., Newton's method, the logistic equation, fractals) as well
as a subject of investigation (e.g., Julia sets). Any function
that has the same type of mathematical object for both its
argument and result can be iterated.

J
Jump
Discontinuity

A discontinuity where there the function "jumps" from one

value to another.

L
Left-Hand
Limit

A function is continuous from the left

if
Less Than

<

(This is called a left-hand limit.

A number which is to the left of the other number on a

number line.

Like Terms

Two monomials (terms) that are the same or differ only in

their coefficients.

Line

In geometry one of the three "undefined terms" that geometry

is based on. Informally, it is infinite in length, and is straight.

Linear
Equation

An equation whose graph is a line.

Linear
Function

A linear equation that is also a function.

Local
Maximum

The maximum value of the function near a specified value in

the domain. (See Relative Maximum)

Local
Minimum

The minimum value of the function near a specified value in

the domain. (See Relative Minimum)

Logarithmic
Function

A function in the form

positive constant.

, where the base a is a

Example:

M
Mapping
Matrix
Matrix
Addition

A pictoral matching up of domain elements with their

corresponding range elements.
[]

A rectangular array of numbers with columns and rows.

Corresponding elements of the two matrices are added.

Matrix
Multiplication

Corresponding elements in that row of the first matrix are

multiplied with the corresponding element of that column of
the second matrix, and then added.

Minor

The determinant formed when the row and column containing

that element are deleted.

Monomial

An expression that is a number, a variable, or the product of a

number and one or more variables. Also called a term.

Multiplicative
Identity

The number which when multiplied by any other number

(except for 0), results in the other number. One (1) is the
Multiplicative Identity. (See Reciprocal), (See Identity
Element)

Multiplicative
Inverse

The number which when multiplied by a given number results

in the Multiplicative Identity (1).
(See Reciprocal)

Multiplication
of Functions

function is

. The domain for this combination

, where A is the domain of function f, and B

is the domain of function g. Example if:

and

, then