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GEC 104 Week 3 - Elements and Characteristic of The Mathematical Language

This document discusses the language and symbols used in mathematics. It defines mathematical language as using terms and notation peculiar to mathematics to communicate ideas. Key characteristics of math language include being precise, concise, and powerful. It distinguishes between mathematical expressions, which name objects of interest like numbers or functions, and sentences, which state complete thoughts and can be evaluated as true or false. Examples are given of expressions and sentences. Phrases can be translated between verbal and algebraic forms. Activities are included to practice classifying statements as expressions or sentences and translating between verbal and algebraic representations.

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Reygie Fabriga
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1K views5 pages

GEC 104 Week 3 - Elements and Characteristic of The Mathematical Language

This document discusses the language and symbols used in mathematics. It defines mathematical language as using terms and notation peculiar to mathematics to communicate ideas. Key characteristics of math language include being precise, concise, and powerful. It distinguishes between mathematical expressions, which name objects of interest like numbers or functions, and sentences, which state complete thoughts and can be evaluated as true or false. Examples are given of expressions and sentences. Phrases can be translated between verbal and algebraic forms. Activities are included to practice classifying statements as expressions or sentences and translating between verbal and algebraic representations.

Uploaded by

Reygie Fabriga
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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GEC 104 Mathematics in the Modern World

Unit II Mathematical Language and Symbols


Lesson 1 Elements and Characteristic of the Mathematical Language

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:


a. Discuss the language, symbols, and conventions of mathematics;
b. Explain the nature of mathematics as a language; and
c. Translate mathematical phrases into mathematical expressions correctly.

Definition of Language of Mathematics


The language of mathematics is the system used by mathematicians to communicate
mathematical ideas among themselves. This language consists of a substrate of some natural
language (for example English) using technical terms and grammatical conventions that are peculiar
to mathematical discourse (see Mathematical jargon), supplemented by a highly specialized symbolic
notation for mathematical formulas.

Characteristics of Mathematics
Precise – able to make very fine distinctions.
Concise – able to say things briefly.
Powerful – able to express complex thoughts with relative ease.

Mathematical Expression versus Mathematical Sentence


Every language has its own vocabulary (the words), its rules for combining these words into
complete thoughts (the sentence). Mathematical language is classified into very broad classification
between the “nouns” of mathematics (used to make mathematical objects of interest) and the
“sentence” of mathematics (which state complete mathematical thoughts).
A mathematical expression is the analogue of an “English noun”; it is a name given to a
mathematical object of interest. It has lots of different names and the name we use depends on what
we are doing with the expression.

Example types of expressions:


Numbers
Sets
Ordered Pairs
Matrices
Functions
Vectors

A mathematical sentence is the analogue of an “English sentence”; it is a correct arrangement


of mathematical symbols that t states a complete thought. It makes sense to ask about the TRUTH of
a sentence. It has a verb and connective.
Illustration:

The symbol “+“ is a connective; a connective is


used to connect objects of a given type to get a
compound object of the same type. If you read the
sentence as “one plus two is equal to three”.

Two primary ways to decide whether something is a sentence or not:

1. Read it aloud and ask yourself the question: Does it state a complete thought? If the answer is
“yes”, then it’s a sentence.
2. Alternatively, you can ask yourself the question: Does it make sense to ask about the TRUTH
of this object?

Summary of Analogy

English Mathematics

Expression
Noun (person, places, thing)
Name given to an
object Example:
Example: Carol, Philippines, book
5,4,3,2,1

Sentence Sentence

A complete thought Example: Example:


The capital of the Philippines is Manila. 3 + 4 =7
The capital of the Philippines is Luzon. 3+4=5

Mathematical Phrases
Mathematical phrases can be written as verbal sentences. You should be able to:
translate verbal sentences into algebraic expressions;
translate algebraic expressions into phrases.

Examples: The Product of Two and Three

Word product indicates, that there should be multiplication of these numbers (“product” is a
result of multiplication).

2●3
If there is a word: number, variable or constant, you should write a letter (use letters from the
end of the alphabet for “number” and “variable”, letters from the beginning of the alphabet for
“constant”).
List of words that could translate into each of the mathematical operations.
Addition Subtraction Multiplication Division
Add Subtract Multiply Divide
Increased by Decreased by Product Quotient
Plus Minus Times Shared
Sum Difference Twice Split Between
Total Reduced by Of Divided by
More Less than

The symbols +, −, ×, ÷, represent the four most commonly used mathematical operations. The
operation of multiplication can be represented by the symbol (×) or # ( ) or ( )( ). Division can be
represented by the symbol (÷) or # / #.

Examples:

Examples: Mathematical phrases (for examples)

The sum of two and a number


or
addition 2+x The total of two and a number
or
Two increased by a number

The difference of twelve and five


or
subtraction 12 – 5 Twelve decreased by five
or
Twelve less five or Five less than twelve

The product of three and seven


3●7 or
multiplication
* 2x Three times seven
*Twice a number

division x ÷ 15 The quotient of a number and fifteen

1
fraction of a number x One-fourth of a number
4

additive inverse -x Opposite of a number

104 The fourth power of ten


exponentiation * 32 *The square of three
*x3 *The cube of a number

radical expression √4 The square root of four

The multiplicative inverse of a number


1
multiplicative inverse or
4
The reciprocal of a number
ACTIVITY 1 Fill in the Blanks
Directions: Classify the entries in the list below as:
 an English noun or a mathematical expression
 an English sentence, or a mathematical sentence

1. cat
2. The word “cat” begin with a letter K.
3. 1+2=4
4. x
5. The sentence is false.
6. t+3=3+t
7. 5–3
8. x=1
9. 2
10. a+5

ACTIVITY 2 Translating Verbal Phrase into Mathematical Expression


Directions: Write each as an algebraic expression. Write your answer on the space provided.
(2 points each number)

1. the difference of 10 and 5


2. the quotient of 14 and 7
3. u decreased by 17
4. half of 14
5. x increased by 6
6. the product of x and 7
7. the quotient of x and y decreased by twice z
8. nine less than the total of a number and two
9. the length of a football field is 30 yards more than its width.
10. one-half of Adam’s age six years ago

ACTIVITY 3 Translating Mathematical Expression into Verbal Phrase


Directions: Write your answer on the space provided. (2 points each number)

1. 7y
2. 2a / 3
3. 5x – 4
4. 3 (x + 6)
5. 2x + 10
MASTERY TESTS
PART 1 True or False
Directions: On the space provided before each item, write TRUE when the statement is factual and
FALSE when it is erroneous.
_____ 1. Verbal phrases can be translated into variable expressions.
_____ 2. The mathematical expression of “a number divided by three plus twelve” is “x/3 + 12”.
_____ 3. If something is a sentence, then it’s not an expression.
_____ 4. Ordered pairs is an example of mathematical sentence.
_____ 5. 1 + 5 = 7 is a mathematical expression.
_____ 6. 2/4 and ½ are both the different number.
_____ 7. The symbol “+” is a connectives.
_____ 8. The mathematical phrase of “4/x + 16/y” is “a number divided by four plus another
number divided by sixteen”.
_____ 9. The letter “x” is a mathematical sentence that is commonly used in mathematics to
represent a number.
_____ 10. “Nouns” of mathematics is used to name mathematical objects of interest.

PART 2 Translate into Mathematical Phrase


Directions: Write your answer on the space provided. (2 points each number).
1. 7+x/2
2. 8+y
3. 5m + n
4. 5 (m + n)
5. 3 (p -n)

PART 3 Translate into Mathematical Expression


Directions: Write your answer on the space provided. (2 points each number).
1. The difference of fourteen times p and n
2. Sixteen less than a number times negative four
3. Four less than x
4. The sum of twice a number and 6
5. Four subtracted from seven

References
(2020). MATH: Algebraic expressions: mathematical phrases. Retrieved 23 July 2020, from
http://www.mathquickeasy.com/mathematica
(2020). Retrieved 23 July 2020, from https://www.chilimath.com/lessons/introductory-
algebra/algebraic-expressions-worked-examples/
(2020). Lesson -Translate Phrases to Mathematical Expressions.Retrieved 23 July 2020, from
https://www.brainfuse.com/jsp/alc/resource.jsp?s=gre&c=35532&cc=108822
(2020). Translation of Mathematical Phrases into Verbal Phrases and Vice Versa. Retrieved 23 July
2020, from http://anibmlaya.blogspot.com/

Prepared by: REYGIE LOGRONIO FABRIGA


GEC 104 Instructor

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