Mathematical Language and Symbols

Learn a new language and get a new soul.

In everyday living, we encounter and even use expressions in English that may connote
Mathematical values or symbols. These encounters include riding a means of transportation; re-
loading cellular phones in the station; buying a particular item in the store; taking allowances
from parents or guardians; expectations of grades in a particular subject; number of friends in
Social Media who are sincere, honest or the opposite; friends who like a photo uploaded in FB;
number of crushes in this school; the number of hours spent in the internet and many more.
There are specific translations of these encounters to mathematical expressions and vice – versa.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to

1. discuss the language, symbols, and conventions of mathematics;
2. explain the nature of mathematics as a language;
3. perform operations on mathematical expressions correctly;
4. convert English expressions into mathematical sentences;
5. convert mathematical sentences to English expressions;
6. convert algebraic sentences to English expressions; and
7. explain why mathematics is a useful language.

The Mathematical Language

Once students comprehend HOW things are said, they better ascertain WHAT is being
said. It is only then that they have a chance to understand WHY it is said. This reveals the fact
for the students to define things or figures, there must be a thorough knowledge of what the
figure is and how it functions as an object.
Suppose, we want to define a rectangle, we say that a rectangle is a quadrilateral with
four right angles. Having said this, the student must have a thorough knowledge of what a
quadrilateral is – a geometric figure with four sides. Some definitions may come very wordy or
very laconic. However, too much information may be unnecessary and too little of it may not be
acceptable in the standards of the English language.
Suppose also that we want to describe a point. One might say that it is just a dot because
this is what the figure would eventually look like. A computer expert would describe it as a
location because this is what he or she sees in the GPRS. An architect or an engineer perhaps
would describe a point as an origin or a starting point in every drawing that he or she does. How
about a nurse or a doctor? a teacher? an accountant? how would the point be described?
There are things that the human eye cannot see like air, molecules, atoms, electric
current, gases, and maybe faith. How would we describe it? Do we think that all of these can be

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defined? It helps to describe and define objects, cases or sentences in a fashion where the
description or definition becomes acceptable and understandable. The next topic is deemed
essential.

Conversion of English expressions into

Mathematical sentences and vice-versa

We begin by describing the basic Mathematical operations into the English language.
There are only 5 basic operations in Mathematics excluding the exponentiation. Each of these
operations has a corresponding English translation as shown in the table below.

Symbols/Operations Basic English Terms

Equals, is equal to (Most common mistake “is equals to”),
= represents, is the same as, is, are and the conjugations of the verb “to
be”, is similar to, is equivalent to, exactly, results to.
Plus, sum, total, added to, added with, added by, augmented, raised,
+
more, more than, and, increased, put together.
Minus, difference, subtracted from, subtracted by, diminish, less,
-
less than, decreased, separated.
Times, product, multiplied by, multiplied with, multiplied to,
 or ( )
doubled, tripled (etc.), twice, thrice (etc.)
/,  Divided by, quotient, per, ratio, halved, over, all over

These symbols are used in different Mathematical operations and how these will be read
follows the rules of the English language. Consider the following examples:

Basic Mathematical
English Translations
Statements
 Three plus four equals seven
 Three plus four is equal to seven
1.) 3 + 4 = 7  Three augmented by four equals seven
Common error:
 Three plus four is equals to seven (Grammar)
 Ten minus two is eight
 Ten less two is equal to eight
 The difference between ten and two is eight
2.) 10 – 2 = 8 Common errors:
 Ten less than two is eight (different meaning)
 The difference between two and ten is eight (different
meaning)
3.) 7(2) = 14  Seven times two is fourteen

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  The product of seven and two is fourteen
 Twice the number seven is fourteen
Common errors:
 Double the seven is fourteen (Grammar)
 Twice the product of two and seven is fourteen
(Redundant)
 Six divided by two is three
 The quotient of six and two is three
 The ratio of six and two is equal to three
Common errors:
4.) 6÷2 = 3
 The quotient of two and six is three
(Connotes different meaning)
 The ratio of two and six is to three
(Connotes different meaning)

Complicated expressions are not so difficult to read. Below are complicated expressions:

Combined Mathematical
English Translations
Statements
The sum of six and two all over four is two
The ratio of six plus two, and four is equal to two
Two is the quotient when the sum of six and two is
62
1.) 2 divided by four.
4
Common error:
 Six plus two divided by four is two
(Connotes different meaning)
 The product of two and twelve less two is sixteen
Common errors:
2.) 2(12 – 4 ) = 16  Double the difference of twelve and four is sixteen
(Connotes different meaning)

Conversion of Algebraic Expressions to English Sentence

Algebraic expressions are written in numbers and letters. The latter are called literal
coefficients or variables. The variable may be translated as “the number”, or “a number” in
English. The following examples are useful.

Algebraic Statements English Translations

1.) 2 x  14  Twice a number is equal to fourteen

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  Two times a number is fourteen
 Thrice the difference of twice a number and one is four
2.) 3  2 x  1  4  Three, multiplied to the difference of twice a number less
one, is four
2( x  1)  The ratio of twice the sum of a number and one, and
3.) 5
3 three is equal to five
 Twice the sum of a number and one is the same as six
4.) 2( x  1)  6( x  4)
times the difference of a number and four
3x  1  The ratio of thrice a number plus one, and four, is similar
5.)  6( x  3)
4 to the difference of a number and three multiplied by six

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 EXERCISE 1.2 – A
MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE AND SYMBOLS

Name: Date:

Time / Schedule: Score:

Convert the following mathematical statements to English sentences. Write your answers on the
space provided.

1. 12 + 1 = 13 _________________________________________________

2. 3(8) = 24 _________________________________________________
10  2 _________________________________________________
3. 2
3
3  4  1 _________________________________________________
4. 3
5
20 _________________________________________________
2
5. 2
2
4

6. 3  11  5  18 _________________________________________________

7. 5  3  2   4  3  1  13 _________________________________________________
1
2  4  6 1
_________________________________________________
8. 5
2  4  1 _________________________________________________
9. 3
53
10 3  4  1  6 _________________________________________________
3
. 3

EXERCISE 1.2 – B
MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE AND SYMBOLS

Name: Date:

Time / Schedule: Score:

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Convert the following sentences in English to Mathematical statements. Write your final
answers on the space provided.

1. The difference between eight and three is five.

2. The sum of six and four, diminished by seven is equal to three.

3. The quotient of twenty one and, five less two is seven.

4. The ratio of the sum of nine and five, and seven is two.

5. One thousand less 12 percent of it is eight hundred eighty.

6. Twice the difference of ten and eight is four.

7. The ratio of twenty-seven and nine is equal to thirty percent of ten.

8. The quotient of “fifteen and five” and “twelve and four” is one.

9. One hundred divided by twenty-five percent of forty is ten.

10 Seventy-eight percent of one thousand less six hundred is equal to one hundred eighty
.

EXERCISE 1.2 – C
MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE AND SYMBOLS

Name: Date:

Time / Schedule: Score:

Convert the following Algebraic expressions to sentences in English. Write your final answers
on the space provided.

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1. 12x = 10x – 2 ___________________________________________________

2. 3x = 5 – 2x ___________________________________________________

2  4 x  1
3. 3
5x  3 ___________________________________________________
3  x  1
4. 7
5 ___________________________________________________
x
5. 3
2 6
5 ___________________________________________________

6. 11  3  x  4   5
___________________________________________________

7. 12  4 x  3  x  5 
___________________________________________________

8. 2x  3  1
2  x  3 ___________________________________________________

9. 5  4 x  2  2 x  3
___________________________________________________

2x  7
10 6
3x  4 ___________________________________________________
.

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 EXERCISE 1.2 – D
MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE AND SYMBOLS

Name: Date:

Time / Schedule: Score:

Convert the sentences in English to Algebraic expressions. Write your answers on the space
provided.

1. The sum of a number and four is twelve.

2. The difference of twice a number and eleven is fifty.

3. The ratio of a number and 2, diminished by 5 is thirteen.

4. The quotient of a number less five, and four is eleven.

5. Sixty percent of a number is fifteen.

6. One-fourth of a number less two is five.

7. Twelve less “a number and five” is equal to twice the number.

8. Thrice a number less six is twice the number.

9. The ratio of "seven less a number" and six is twice the difference between the number and
one.

10 The number less five all over three is fifteen.

.

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 EXERCISE 1.2 – E
MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE AND SYMBOLS

Name: Date:

Time / Schedule: Score:

Convert the following sentences in English to Mathematical equations. Write your answers on
the space provided.

1. The sum of five and twice a number is eleven

2. The product of three and a number is negative twenty-one
3. The ratio of number and eighteen is two-thirds
4. Four times the difference of eight and a number is the same as one-hundred twenty divided
by twelve
5. The quotient of thrice a number and four is equivalent to the six
6. Five times a number plus ten all over three is eleven
7. Twice the sum of eleven and four times a number
8. Four times a number minus twelve is twice the difference of a number and five
9. The product of twice a number and six is eight plus a number
10 The ratio of a number and seventy-five is the same as fifty-four and twice a number
.

Write the following mathematical expressions to English sentences.

1. 10 – 5x = 25
2. 6(12 – 4x) = 48
36
3.  3x  1
12
4.
4(5 – x) = 16
5  3x
5. 5
2
25 x  5
6.  3x
10
7.
3(4 – 2x) + 5(4 – x) = 21
12  4 x x
8. 
3 2
12 2x
9. 1 
18 3
10 + 4(5 – 2x) = 53
. 65

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23
Other Languages of Mathematics

Aside from the conversion of the language to mathematical structures, some

mathematical symbols or notations are used to create a rule to obtain a solution. The following
are useful symbols:

Symbol/Notations Name Explanations

 The expression, 2  A , means that 2 is found
Element
in the set A.
 The expression, A  U , means that all the
Subset
elements of set A are found in U.
The union of two sets means that all the
 Union elements of the sets are joined together
without the duplication.
The intersection of the two sets is the process
of identifying the common elements of the
 Intersection sets. However, if there is no common
element, then the sets are considered to be
disjoints.
To be read as “y is a function of x”. This
y  f ( x) Function means in the expression, y = 2x +3, the value
of f(2) = 7.
To be read as the function as A maps to B. If
f : A B Mapping A = {1, 2} and B = {3, 4}, then f = {(1,3),
(1,4), (2,3), (2, 4)}.
d To be read as y prime is the first derivatives
y' [ f ( x)] Derivatives
dx of the f(x). That is, if y = 2x, then y '  2.
This is read as the indefinite integral of the f
prime of x dx is the f of x + C, the constant of
 f ( x)dx  f ( x)  C Indefinite Integrals
 2dx  2 x  C.
integration. That is, This is
because the derivatives of 2x is2dx.
The definite integral from a to b of the f
b
prime of x dx is the f of b minus the f of a. In
 f ( x)dx  F (b)  F (a)
a
Definite Integrals the expression,
1

 2 xdx  1 square unit.

0
Source: Jamison, R.E. (2000). Learning the language of Mathematics. Language and Learning across the
Discipline, 4(1), 45 – 54.

EXERCISE 1.2 – F

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 MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE AND SYMBOLS

Name: Date:

Time / Schedule: Score:

Give at least five different mathematical symbols and complete the table below:

Symbol/Notations Name Explanations

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