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#4 - Midterm - Mathematical Language and Symbol - Variables

This document discusses mathematical language and symbols, specifically variables. It defines a variable as a symbol used to represent an unknown value. Variables allow computations to be performed without knowing the actual values, helping to discover possible values. Examples show how rewriting sentences using variables maintains generality. The document also covers different types of mathematical statements, such as universal statements, conditional statements, existential statements, universal conditional statements, universal existential statements, and existential universal statements.

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67 views19 pages

#4 - Midterm - Mathematical Language and Symbol - Variables

This document discusses mathematical language and symbols, specifically variables. It defines a variable as a symbol used to represent an unknown value. Variables allow computations to be performed without knowing the actual values, helping to discover possible values. Examples show how rewriting sentences using variables maintains generality. The document also covers different types of mathematical statements, such as universal statements, conditional statements, existential statements, universal conditional statements, universal existential statements, and existential universal statements.

Uploaded by

Bom Bom
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Mathematical Language

and Symbol: Variables


Variables
Variables

 It is represented by a letter x or y.

A symbol for a value we don’t


know yet.
Variables

Advantage of Using Variables:

 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.
Variables

Advantage of Using Variables:


Example:
 

Is there a number with following property:


Doubling it and adding 3 gives the same result as
squaring it?

“Is there a number x with the property that ”?

“Is there a number □ with the property that


+ 3 = ”?
Variables

Advantage of Using Variables:


Example: (continuation)
 

“Is there a number □ with the property that


+ 3 = ”?

 To illustrate the second use of variables consider


the statement:

No matter what number might be chosen, if it is


greater than 2, then its square is greater than 4.
Variables

Advantage of Using Variables:


Example: (continuation)
 
 Introducing a variable to give a temporary name to the
number you might choose enables you to maintain the
generality of the statement.
“Is there a number x with the property that ”?

No matter what number might be chosen, if it is greater than


2, then its square is greater than 4.

No matter what number might be chosen, if greater than 2,


the is greater than 4.
Writing Sentences Using
Variables
Writing Sentences Using
Variables

Use variables to rewrite the following sentences more


formally.
 

a. Are there numbers with the property that the sum of


their squares equals the square of their sum?
Solution
 Are there numbers x and y with the property .
 Are there numbers x and y such that .
 Do there exist any numbers x and y such that .
Writing Sentences Using
Variables

Use variables to rewrite the following sentences more


formally.
 

b. Given any real number, its square is nonnegative?

Solution
 Given any real number is nonnegative.

 For any real number

 For all real number


Some Important Kinds of
Mathematical Statements
Some Important Kinds of
Mathematical Statements

 Universal Statement – says that a certain property is


true for all elements in a set. “For all”, “In every”,
“For every”
Example: All positive numbers are greater than zero.
 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.
 Existential Statement – says that there is at least one
thing which the property is true.
Example: There is a prime number that is even.
Some Important Kinds of
Mathematical Statements

 Universal Conditional Statements

 A statement that is both universal and conditional.


Example: For all animals is a, if a is a dog, then a is mammal.

 They can be rewritten in ways that make them appear to be


purely universal or purely conditional.
If a is 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.
Some Important Kinds of
Mathematical Statements

 Universal Conditional Statements


Rewriting a Universal Conditional Statement:
  For all real number x, if x is nonzero then is positive.

Solution:
1. If a real number is nonzero, then its square is positive.

2. For all nonzero real number x, is positive.

3. If x is a nonzero real number, then is positive.

4. The square of any nonzero real number is positive.

5. All nonzero real number have positive squares.


Some Important Kinds of
Mathematical Statements

 Universal Existential Statements

 A statement that is universal because its first part says


that a certain property is true for all objects of a given
type, and it is existential because its second part asserts
the existence of something.

Example: Every real number has an additive inverse.


 All real numbers have additive inverses.
 For all real numbers r, there is an additive inverse for r.
 For all real numbers r, there is a real number s such as that s
is an additive inverse.
Some Important Kinds of
Mathematical Statements

 Universal Existential Statements


Rewriting a Universal Existential Statement:
Every pot has a lid.

Solution:
1. All pots have lid.

2. For all pots P, there is a lid for P.

3. For all pots P, the is a lid L such that L is a lid for P.


Some Important Kinds of
Mathematical Statements

 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 thing of a certain kind.

Example: There is a positive integer that is less than or equal


to every positive integer.
Some Important Kinds of
Mathematical Statements

 Existential Universal Statements


Rewriting a Existential Universal Statement:

There is a person in my class who is at least as old as every


person in my class.

Solution:
1. Some person is at least as old as every person in my class.
2. There is a person p in my class that p is at least as old as every
person in my class.
3. 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.
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