CHAPTER 2

MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE
AND
SYMBOLS
• Language is the system of words, signs
and symbols which people use to express
ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

• Mathematical language is the system used

to communicate mathematical ideas. It has
certain language features unparalleled in
other languages, such as representation.
• Numbers, measurements, shapes, spaces,
functions, patterns, data, and arrangements
are regarded as mathematical nouns, while
mathematical verbs may be considered as the
four main actions attributed to problem-solving
and reasoning.

• According to Kenney, Hancewiz, Heuer,

Metsisto and Tuttle (2005), these four main
actions are:
• MODELING AND FORMULATING: Creating appropriate
representations and relationships to mathematics the
original problem.
• TRANSFORMING AND MANIPULATING: Changing the
mathematical form in which a problem is originally
expressed to equivalent forms that represent solutions
• INFERRING: Applying derived results to the original
problem situation, and interpreting and generalizing the
results in that light.
• COMMUNICATING: Reporting what has been learned
about a problem to a specified audience
 CHARACTERISTICS OF
MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE

• The use of language in mathematics differs from the

language of ordinary speech in 3 important ways,
according to Jamison (2000)
• First, mathematical language is non-temporal. There
is no past, present or future in mathematics.
• Second, mathematical language is devoid of
emotional content.
• Third, mathematical language is precise.
• Since ordinary language tolerates vagueness, students
have little practice in forming clear, precise sentences and
often lack the patience to do so. (Jamison, 2000)
• The advantage of mathematical language, both symbolic
and graphical, is that it is highly compact and focused.
• For learners, this can also be a disadvantage, because one
little symbol can refer to so many ideas. (Developing
mathematical Language, 2016)
• While students learn how to do math, they must also learn
to recognize and answer “why” questions so that they
will develop problem solving skills.
• Mathematical language is concise, precise and powerful
 MATHEMATICAL EXPRESSIONS AND
SENTENCES
Addition Subtraction Multiplication Division

[+] [ -] [x,(),*] [ ÷,/]

• Plus • Minus Multiplied Divided by
• The sum • The by The
of differen-
The quotient
Increased ce of
product of of
by Decreased
Total by Times of per
Added to Subtracted
from
• The symbol x is rarely used to show in multiplication
because it is used as variable in algebra. Hence, dot,
parenthesis or asterisk may be used instead of x.
• Multivariate expression – more than one variables.
Ex:
• 5xy + 9x – 12
• 31abc
• 9y/3x
• Mathematical expressions consist of terms. A single term
may contain an expression in parenthesis or other grouping
symbols .
• Algebraic expression – a quantity that contains numbers
and variables.
• Literal Coefficient – represents the unknown and makes
use of letters.
• Numerical Coefficient – number with the variable.
• Constant – any single number.
• Ex: 10x + 11
• Monomial – consist of 1 term ; ex 21 (x-8)
• Binomial - 2 terms ; ex 5x + 12y
• Mathematical sentence – combines two mathematical expressions
using a comparison operator. Comparison operators include equal, not
equal greater than, less than or equal to
• A mathematical operation containing the equal sign is an equation.
The two parts of an equation is called its members.
• A mathematical expression containing the inequality sign is an
inequality.
• Example of equation:
• 4x + 3 = 19
• 6y – 5 = 55
• Example of inequality :
• 18 > 16.5
• 99 < x
• OPEN SENTENCE – uses variables, meaning that is not
known whether or not the mathematical sentence is TRUE
OR FALSE.
• Examples :
18 w > 16.5 8ab – c = 1
• The obtuse angle is N degrees.
• CLOSED SENTENCE – mathematical sentence that is known
to be either true or false.
• Example of TRUE CLOSED SENTENCE:
• 2 (x + y ) = 2x + 2y
• 18 (2) > 16.5
• Example of FALSE CLOSED
SENTENCE:
• 9 is an even number.
• 4+4=5
• 10 – 1 = 8
 CONVENTIONS IN THE MATHEMATICAL
LANGUAGE
Context
• a particular topic being studied
• to know and understand mathematical symbols
Convention
• technique used by mathematicians, scientists and
engineers (Appendix 3-4)
 FOUR BASIC CONCEPTS
1. SETS – collection of distinct objects; can be numbers,
people, letters, etc. Conventionally named with capital
letters.
• An element of set is usually denoted by a lower case
letter.
• The symbol ϵ denotes membership while ∉ denotes non-
membership to a set. Thus x ϵ A, read as x is an element
of A, means that x can be found on set A. Thus, x ∉ A,
read as x is not an element of A, means that x does not
belong to set A.
TWO WAYS TO DESCRIBE A SET:
• ROSTER/TABULAR METHOD – The elements
in the given set are listed or enumerated,
separated by a comma inside a pair of braces.

• RULE/ DESCRIPTIVE METHOD – This method

uses set builder notation where x is used to
represent any element of the given set.
 KINDS OF SET

• Empty/Null/Void set - has no element or a pair

of braces with no element inside. Ex. {}.
• Finite Set - has countable number of elements.
• Infinite Set – has uncountable number of
elements.
• Universal Set – totality of number of the sets
under consideration, denoted by U.
 Two or more sets may be related to each
other as described by the ff:

• Equal sets have the same elements

• Equivalent sets have the same number of
elements
• Joint set have at least one common element
• Disjoint Sets have no common element
• A subset is a set every element of which can be found
on a bigger set. The symbol ⊂ means” a subset of”
while ⊄ means “not a subset of”. If the first set equals
to the second set, then it is an . The symbol ⊆ is used
to mean an improper subset.

• There are four operations performed on sets:

• Union of sets A and B [denoted by A⋃B]

Is a set whose elements are found in A or B or in both.
In symbol: A⋃B={x/x ϵ or x ϵ B}
• Intersection of set A and B [denoted by A∩B]
Is a set whose elements are common to both
sets.
In symbol: A∩B={x/x ϵ A and x ϵ B}

• Difference of sets A and B [denoted by A-B]

is a set whose elements are found in set A but not
in set B.
In symbol: A-B= { x/x ϵ A and x ∉ B}
• Complement of set A [denoted by
A’]
is a set whose elements are found in
the universal set but not in set A.
In symbol: A’= {x/x ϵ U and x ∉ A}
 FUNCTIONS
• Mathematical entities that give unique outputs to
particular inputs. It has 3 important parts:
• Input
• Relationship
• Output
• A function has special rules:
• A function works for every possible input value
• A function has only one relationship for each value.
 Example

• X = ( Alyssa, Elijah, Steph, Shei )

• Y = ( Chemistry, Math, Physics, Statistics )
(x, y) = {(Alyssa, Chemistry) (Elijah, Math), (Steph,
Physics), (Shei, Statistics)}

Likewise, a function consists of argument (input to

a function), value (output) domain ( set of all
permitted outputs to a given function) and contain
( set of permissible outputs)
• The rules on performing operations of functions,
f and g are:

• The sum f + g is the function defined by:

y=(f + g) x=f(x) + g(x)

• The difference f –g is the function defined by:

y=(f-g) x=f(x)-g(x)

• The product f*g is the function defined by:

y=(f*g) x=f(x)*g(x)
 3. RELATIONS
• Set of inputs and outputs expressed as
ordered pair. (input, output)

• A rule which associates each element of

the first set (set A with atleast one
element in the second set ( set B )
• Can also be presented as a mapping
diagram or a graph.
• Correspondence between a first set of
variables such that for some elements of
the first set of variables, there correspond
atleast two elements of the second set of
variables
1. DISJOINT SETS A AND B
U
B

U
2. Set A is a proper subset of set B, A ⊂B
A B
• 3.Union of set A and B, A⋃B
4. Intersection of set A and B
A∩B

5.Difference of sets A and B, A-B

6.Complement of a set A, A’
 4.Binary Operations

• The term binary means consisting of two parts. In

mathematics, binary means that it belongs to a
number system base 2 and not by 10.
• A binary number is made up of only 0’s and 1’s.
There is no 2,3,4,5,6,7,8 or 9 in binary.

• A Bit is a single binary digit.

• To distinguish a binary from a decimal number, it is

written with a subscript 2.
• To transform the binary number
1111112 to decimal:
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 = 2⁶ = 64
1 0 0 0 0 0 = 2⁵ = 32
1 0 0 0 0 = 2⁴ = 16
1 0 0 0 = 2ᵌ = 8
1 0 0 = 22 = 4
1 0 = 21 = 2
1 = 2⁰ = 1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1= 127
since 64+32+16+8+4+2+1 equals
• Typical examples of binary operations are the addition
and multiplication of number and matrices, as well as
composition of functions on a single set.

. On the set of a real number R, f(a, b)=a+b is a binary

operation since the sum of two real numbers is a real
number.

• On the set of natural numbers N, f(a, b)=a+b is a binary operation

since the sum of two natural numbers is a natural number. This is a
different binary operation than the previous one since the sets are
different.

.On the set M,(2, 2) of 2x2 matrices w/ f(A,B)=AB is a binary

operation since the sum of two such matrices is another 2x2
matrix.
• On the set M (2,20=) of 2x2 matrices w/ a real entities, f (A,B)=AB, is a
.

binary operations since the product of two such matrices is another 2x2
matrix.

For a given set C, let S be the set of all functions h: C→C. Define f: S x S → S by
f (h1,h2)(c)=(h1,h2)(c)= h1(h2(c)) for all c ϵ C, the composition of the two function
h1 and h2 is S.

• Then f is a binary operation since the composition of the

two functions is another function on the set C(that is, a
member of S).
• Many binary operations of interest is both
algebra and formal logic are commutative
satisfying by f(a,b)=f(b,a) for all elements a
and b in S, or associate satisfying f[f(a,b),c]=f
[a,f(b,c)] for all a,b,c in S. Many also have
identity elements and inverse elements.
(binary operation,2017).
 E. ELEMENTARY LOGIC
LOGIC
• is the science of formal principles of reasoning or correct
inference.
• the study of the principles and methods used to distinguish valid
arguments from those that are not valid.
• has vital application in the various fields of human endeavour.
MATHEMATICAL LOGIC
• the study of reasoning in Mathematics.
• Mathematical reasoning is deductive.
• basic concept: a statement is a logical consequence of some
other statements.
• ARGUMENT
• In LOGIC, it is defined as any group of statements or
propositions, one of which is claimed to follow from the other,
which are then alleged to provide basis for the truth of that
one.
• In CATEGORICAL SYLLOGISM, it involves two premises
and a single conclusion.
 F. FORMALITY

• A formal expression is completely formal when its context-

independent non-fuzzy and precise that is, it represent a
clear distinction which invariant under changes of context.
• this encompasses both mathematical formalism and
operational determination.
• the main advantages of formal expression are storability,
universal communicability and
• formality can never be complete, as the context is eliminated.
primitive terms, observation set-ups, and background conditions
are inescapable parts of formal of operational definitions, that all
refer to a context beyond the formal system(Heylighen,1999)
 Thank you!

MARLENE C CEBANICO, PhD (CAR)

Math Instructor