Mathematical Language and

Symbols
JC T. Beringuel, MAEd., LPT, ECE, RECT
General Education/Electronics Engineering Department, College of Engineering
University of Rizal System - Morong
Language is the system of words, signs and
symbols which people use to express ideas,
thoughts and feelings

Mathematical Language is the system used

to communicate mathematical ideas
 Four main actions attributed to
problem solving and reasoning
1. Modeling and Formulating
2. Transforming and Manipulating
3. Inferring
4. Communicating
 Characteristic of Mathematical
Language
Mathematics is about ideas - relationship, quantities,
processes, measurements, reasoning and so on.

The use of language in mathematics differs from the

language of ordinary speech in three important
ways(Jamison 2000):

First, mathematical language is non-temporal. There is no past,

present and future in mathematics

Second, mathematical language is devoid of emotional content

Third, mathematical language is precise.

Advantage of Mathematical Notation

Symbolic and Graphical is that it is highly

compact and focused
Operational Terms and Symbols
Addition Substraction Multiplication Division

[+] [-] [ x, (), * ] [/]

Plus minus multiplied by divided by
the sum of the difference of the product of the quotient of
increased by decreased by times of per
total subtracted from
added to
 Mathematical Expressions
Literal Coefficient

Numerical Coefficient

Constant

ex. 3x + 10
Monomial

ex. 21(x + 8)

Binomial

ex. 5x + 12y

Trinomial

ex. 3x + 2(x + y) - 36

note: mathematical expression with more than two terms is

called Polynomial
 Mathematical Sentence
-combination of two mathematical expressions
using a comparison operator.

Equation

ex. 4x + 3 = 19

Inequality

ex. 15x - 5 < 3y

An open sentence in math means that it uses
variables, meaning that it is not known whether
or not the mathematical sentence is true or
false

ex. 2xy < 3y

A closed sentence, is a mathematical

sentence that is known to be either true or false

ex. 2(x + y) = 2x + 2y
Conventions in the Mathematical Language
Context refers to the particular topics being
studied and it is important to understand the
context to understand mathematical symbols.

Convention is a technique used by

mathematicians, engineers, scientist is which
each particular symbol has particular meaning.
 Four Basic Concepts
• Sets - is well-defined collection of distinct objects.

• Functions - mathematical quantities that give unique

outputs to particular inputs.

• Relations - is a correspondence between a first set of

variables such that for some elements of the first set
variables, there correspond at least two elements of the
second set of variables.

• Binary Operations is a rule for combining two values to

produce a new value.
Two ways to describe a Set:
Sets
-Roster/Tabular Method (ex. E = {a, e, i , o, u})
-Rule/Descriptive Method (ex. E = {x/x is a collection of vowel numbers})

Kinds of Sets:
-Empty/Null/Void Set (ex. C = {x/x is an integer less than 2 but greater than 1})
-Finite Set (ex. A = {d, i, r, t})
-Infinite Set (ex. A = {…, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, …} and B = {x/x is a set of whole numbers})
-Universal Set (ex. U = {x/x is an animal in Manila Zoo} and U = {1, 2, 3, …,100})
-Unit Set (Singleton) (ex. E = {x/x is a whole number greater than 1 but less than 3})

Four operations performed on sets

-Union of Sets A and B
-Intersection of Sets A and B
-Difference of Sets A and B (Relative Complement)
-Complement of Set A (Absolute Complement)
-Symmetric Difference
 Venn-Euler Diagram/Venn
Diagram
The pictorial representation of relationship
and operations of sets.
 Functions
-is a relation in which, for every value of the first component of the ordered pair,
there is exactly one value of the second component.

Functions three most important parts:

-Input
-Relationship
-Output

ex. let Set X consists of four students and Set Y consists of their favorite subjects, respectively:
X = {Alyssa, Elijah, Steph, Shei}
Y = {Chemistry, Math, Physics, Statistics}

The result is a set of ordered pairs of the form(x, y), written as:
{(Alyssa, Chemistry), (Elijah, Math), (Steph, Physics), (Shei, Statistics)}
Rules in performing operations of Functions
The sum f + g is the function defined by:
y = (f + g)x = f(x) + g(x)

The difference f - g is the function defined by:

y = (f - g)x = f(x) - g(x)

The product f * g is the function defined by:

y = (f * g)x = f(x) * g(x)

The quotient f / g is the function defined by:

y = (f / g)x = f(x) / g(x)
Relations
Binary Operations
 Group
- is a set of elements, with one operation, that satisfies
the following properties.

Four Properties of Groups by means of

Binary Operations

1. Closure Property
2. Associative Property
3. Identity Property
4. Inverse Property
Logic is the science of formal principles of
reasoning or correct inference.

Mathematical Logic is the study of reasoning in

mathematics. Mathematical reasoning is
deductive; meaning it consists of drawing
conclusions from the given hypothesis.
 Formality
Formality is a relational concepts: an expression can be more or less
relative to another expression, entailing an ordering of expressions; yet,
no expression can be absolutely formal or absolutely informal.

Existential Quantifiers
ex. There exists an x such that x is odd number and 2x is even number.

Universal Quantifiers
ex. For all x, if x is a positive integer, then 2x + 1 is an odd number