THE LANGUAGE OF

MATHEMATICS
CHAPTER 2
The aim of this chapter is to introduce you to a mathematical way of thinking that can
serve you in a wide variety of situations. Often when you start work on a mathematical
problem, you may have only a vague sense of how to proceed. You may begin by looking
at examples, drawing pictures, playing around with notation, rereading the problem to
focus on more details, and so forth. The closer you get to a solution, however, the more
your thinking has to crystallize. And the more you need to understand, the more you need
language that expresses mathematical ideas clearly, precisely, and unambiguously.

This chapter will introduce you to some special language that is a foundation for much
mathematical thought, the language of variables, sets, relations and functions. Think of
the this chapter like the exercises you would do before an important sporting event. Its
goal is to warm up your mental muscles so that you can do your best.

Source: Mathematics in the Modern World (GEC Series)

VARIABLES
▪ We can imagine that it has one or more
values but we don`t know what they are.
▪ We want whatever we say about it to be
equally true for all elements in a given set,
and so we don`t want to be considering
only a particular, concrete value for it.
Example:
▪ Is there a number with the following
property: doubling it and adding by 3 gives
the same number as squaring it?
▪ Is there a number 𝑥 with the property that
2𝑥 + 3 = 𝑥 2
Example:
▪ No matter what number might be chosen, if
it is greater than 2, then its square is
greater than 4.
▪ No matter what number 𝑛 might be chosen,
if 𝑛 greater than 2, then 𝑛 greater than 4.
2
Exercise:
1. Are there numbers that the sum of
their squares equals the square of
their sum?
2. Given any real number, its square is
nonnegative
Exercise:
3. Are there numbers whose square are
smaller than the numbers
themselves?
4. A prime number is an integer greater
than 1 and whose only positive
factors are 1 and itself.
MATHEMATICAL STATEMENTS

A UNIVERSAL STATEMENT says that a

certain property is true for all elements
in a set.
Examples:
1. All positive numbers are greater than
zero.
2. The square of any nonzero real
number is positive.
3. For every integer, the absolute value
is nonnegative.
MATHEMATICAL STATEMENTS

A CONDITIONAL STATEMENT says that

if one thing is true then some other
thing also has to be true.
Examples:
1. If 36 is divisible by 6, then it is also
divisible by 3.
2. If the positive factors of 7 are 1 and 7
only, then 7 is prime.
3. If a real number is a complex number,
then a rational number is also a
complex number.
MATHEMATICAL STATEMENTS

An EXISTENTIAL STATEMENT says that

there is at least one thing for which the
property is true.
Examples:
1. There is a prime number that is even.
2. There exists a real number which is
neither positive nor negative.
3. There exists a Fibonacci number which
is also prime.
Universal Conditional Statement
-both universal and conditional

Example:
For all animals a, if a is a dog, then a is
a mammal.
Universal Conditional Statement
CONDITIONAL
• If a is a dog, then a is a mammal.
• If
an animal is a dog, then the animal is
a mammal.
Universal Conditional Statement
UNIVERSAL
• For all dogs a, a is a mammal.
• All dogs are mammals.
Fill in the blanks.
For all real numbers x, if x is nonzero
then 𝒙𝟐 is positive.

• If a real number is nonzero, then its

square ________ .

Answer: is positive
Fill in the blanks.
For all real numbers 𝒙, if 𝒙 is nonzero
then 𝒙𝟐 is positive.

• For all nonzero real number x,

_____________.

Answer: 𝒙𝟐 is positive
Fill in the blanks.
For all real numbers 𝒙, if 𝒙 is nonzero
then 𝒙𝟐 is positive.

• If 𝒙 _______________, then ___________.

Answer: is a nonzero real number, then 𝒙𝟐 is positive

Fill in the blanks.
For all real numbers 𝒙 if 𝒙 is nonzero
then 𝒙𝟐 is positive.

• The square of any nonzero number is

__________ .

Answer: positive
Fill in the blanks.
For all real numbers x, if x is nonzero
then 𝒙𝟐 is positive.

• All nonzero real number have ________.

Answer: positive squares

 Fill in the blanks.
For all real numbers 𝒙, if 𝒙 is greater
than 2, then 𝒙𝟐 is greater than 4.

• If a real number is greater than 2, then

its square is ________.

Answer: greater than 4

 Fill in the blanks.
For all real numbers 𝒙 if 𝒙 is greater
than 2, then 𝒙𝟐 is greater than 4.

• For all real numbers greater than 2,

______________________.

Answer: their squares are greater than 4

 Fill in the blanks.
For all real numbers 𝒙, if 𝒙 is greater
than 2, then 𝒙𝟐 is greater than 4.

• If 𝒙 ___________, then _____________.

Answer: is a real number greater than 2, then 𝒙𝟐 is greater than 4.

Fill in the blanks.
For all real numbers 𝒙, if 𝒙 is greater
than 2, then 𝒙 is greater than 4.
𝟐

• The square of any real number greater

than 2 is _________.

Answer: greater than 4

 Fill in the blanks.
For all real numbers 𝒙, if 𝒙 is greater
than 2, then 𝒙𝟐 is greater than 4.

• All real numbers greater than 2 have

_____________.

Answer: their squares greater than 4

Universal Existential Statement
-both universal and existential

Example:
Every real number has an additive
inverse.
Universal Conditional Statement
• For
all real numbers m, there is an
additive inverse for m.
• Forall real numbers m, there is a real
number n such that n is an additive
inverse for m.
 Fill in the blanks.
Every pot has a lid.

• All pots _______.

Answer: have lids

 Fill in the blanks.

Every pot has a lid.

• For all pots P, there is _______.

Answer: is a lid for P

 Fill in the blanks.
Every pot has a lid.

• For all pots P, there is a lid L such that

__________.

Answer: L is a lid for P

 Fill in the blanks.
All bottles have cap.

• Every bottle ________.

Answer: has a cap

 Fill in the blanks.
All bottles have cap.

• For all bottles B, there _________.

Answer: a cap for B

 Fill in the blanks.
All bottles have cap.

• For all bottles B, there is a cap C such

that ________.

Answer: C is a cap for B

Existential Universal Statements
-both existential and universal

Example:
There is a positive integer that is less
than or equal to every positive integer.
Existential Universal Statements
• Thereis a positive integer 𝒎 that is less
than or equal to every positive integer.
• Thereis a positive integer 𝒎 such that
every positive integer is greater than or
equal to 𝒎.
• Thereis a positive integer 𝒎 with the
property that for all positive integers 𝒏,
𝒎 ≤ 𝒏.
 Fill in the blanks.
There is a bird in this flock that is at
least as heavy as every bird in this flock.

• Some __________ is at least as heavy

as ________________.

Answer: bird in this flock is at least as heavy as every bird in this flock
 Fill in the blanks.
There is a bird in this flock that is at least
as heavy as every bird in this flock.

• There is a bird B in this flock such that

B is __________________.

Answer: at least as heavy as every bird in this flock.

 Fill in the blanks.
There is a bird in this flock that is at least
as heavy as every bird in this flock.

• There is a bird B in this flock with the

property that for every bird C in this
flock, B is ________________.

Answer: at least as heavy as C

 Fill in the blanks.
There is a person in my class, who is
at least as old as every person in my
class.

• Some ____________ is at least as old

as______________.

old as every person in my class

Answer: person in my class is at least as
 Fill in the blanks.
There is a person in my class, who is at
least as old as every person in my class.

• There is a person P in my class such that

P is __________________.

Answer: at least as old as every person in my class

Fill in the blanks.
There is a person in my class, who is at
least as old as every person in my
class.

• There is a person P in my class with

the property that for every person Q in
my class, P is _____.

Answer: at least as old as Q