MATHEMATICS OF

LANGUAGE AND
SYMBOLS
Module 2: Part 1 - An Introduction
 OBJECTIVES
01. Discuss the language, symbols and conventions in mathematics
02. Explain the nature of mathematics as a language
03. Perform operations on mathematical expressions correctly
04. Use different types of reasoning to justify statements and
arguments made about mathematics and mathematical concepts
05. Construct truth tables and translate logical sattements to
symbols and vice versa.
06. Write clear and logical proofs.
 LANGUAGE
A systematic way of communicating with other
people by the use of sounds or conventional
symbols.
IMPORTANCE OF
LANGUAGE
To communicate ideas to others
To understand the expressed ideas
To acquire knowledge or information
To construct social identity
 COMPONENTS OF THE
LANGUAGE OF MATHEMATICS
Discreteness
Grammar
Productivity
Displacement
VOCABULARY OF
MATHEMATICS
The 10 digits: 0, 1, 2,.............9
Operations:
Sets:
Variables:
Special Symbols:
Logic Symbols:
Set Notation:
IMPORTANT SETS
IMPORTANT SETS
COMMON SYMBOLS
GRAMMAR OF
MATHEMATICS
The mathematical notation use for
formulas has its own grammar, not
dependent on a specific natural
language, but shared internationally by Math Language
mathematicians regardless of their
mother tongue.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF MATHEMATICS
LANGUAGE
PRECISE POWERFUL
CONCISE
 DIFFICULTIES
The word “is” could mean equality,
inequality or mermbership in a set.
Different use of a number (cardinal,
ordinal, nominal, ratio)
 DIFFICULTIES
Mathematical objects may be represented in
many ways such as sets and functions.
The words “and” and “or” mean differently in
Math
MATHEMATICS OF
LANGUAGE AND
SYMBOLS
Module 2: Part 2 - Variables
WHAT IS A VARIABLE?
It is represented by a letter like x or y.
Symbol used for a value that we don’t
know yet.
ADVANTAGE OF USING VARIABLE
It allows you to give a temporary name to
what you are seeking so that you can perform
concrete computations with it to help
discover its possible values.
 EXAMPLE
Is there a number with the following
property:
Doubling it and adding 3 gives
the same result as squaring it?
ADVANTAGES CONT...
Introducing a variable to give a temporary
name to the number you might choose
enables you to maintain the generality of
the statement.
Use variables to rewrite the following
sentences more formally.
 EXAMPLE
1. Are there numbers with the property
that the sum of their squares equals
the square of their sum?
 EXAMPLE
2. Give any real number, its square is non
negative.
IMPORTANT KINDS OF MATHEMATICAL
STATEMENTS
Universal Statement - says that a certain property
is true for all elements in a set. “For all”
Example: All positive numbers are greater than
zero.
IMPORTANT KINDS OF MATHEMATICAL
STATEMENTS
Conditional Statement - says if one thing is true
then some other thing also has to be true. “If-then”
Example: If 378 is divisible by 18, then 378 is
divisible by 6.
IMPORTANT KINDS OF MATHEMATICAL
STATEMENTS
Existential Statement - says that there is at least
one thing for which the property is true.
Example: There is a prime number that is even.
 UNIVERSAL CONDITIONAL
STATEMENTS
A statement that is both universal and conditional.
EXAMPLE: For all animals a, if a is a dog, then a
is a mammal.
 UNIVERSAL CONDITIONAL
STATEMENTS
They can be rewritten in ways that make them appear to be purely
universal or purely conditional.
EXAMPLE: If a is a dog, then a is a mammal.
If an animal is a dog, then the animal is a mammal.
For all dogs a, a is a mammal.
All dogs are mammals.
 REWRITING A UNIVERSAL
CONDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Fill in the blanks to rewrite the following statement:
For all real numbers x, if x is nonzero then x square is positive.
If a real number is nonzero, then it square is positive
For all nonzero real number x, x^2 is positive.
If x is a nonzero real number, then x^2 is positive.
The square of any nonzero real number is positive.
All nonzero real number have positive squares.
 UNIVERSAL EXISTENTIAL
STATEMENTS
A statement that is universal because its first part says
that a certain property is true for al objects of a given
type, and it is existential because its second part
asserts the existence of something.
 UNIVERSAL EXISTENTIAL
STATEMENTS
Example: Every real number has an additive inverse.
All real numbers have additive inverses.
For all real numbers r, there is an additive for r.
For all real numbers r, there is a real number s such
that s is an additive inverse.
 REWRITING A UNIVERSAL
EXISTENTIAL STATEMENTS
Every pot has a lid.
All pots have lid.
For all pots P, there is a lid for P.
For all pots P, there is a lid L such that L is a lid for
P.
 EXISTENTIAL UNIVERSAL
STATEMENTS
A statement that is existential because its first part
asserts that a certain object exists and is universal
because its second part says that the object satisfies a
certain property for all things of a certain kind
 EXISTENTIAL UNIVERSAL
STATEMENTS
Example:
There is a positive integer that is less than or equal
to every positive integer.
REWRITING A EXISTENTIAL UNIVERSAL
STATEMENTS
Fill in the blanks to rewrite the following statement:
There is a person in my class who is at least as old as
every person in my class.
Some person in my class is at least as old as every
person in my class.
There is a person p in my class that p is at least as old
as every person in my class.
REWRITING A EXISTENTIAL UNIVERSAL
STATEMENTS
Fill in the blanks to rewrite the following statement:
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 at least as old as q.
 TRANSLATING PHRASES INTO
MATHEMATICAL EXPRESSION
1. The sum of a number and 10
2. The product of two numbers
3. man 1 is taller than man 2
4. Four times the square of a number
5. One-half of a number.
 THANK YOU!
SEE YOU IN OUR
NEXT CLASS!