Unit 2- Mathematical Language and Symbols

Mathematics is written in a symbolic language that is designed to express

mathematical thoughts. English language is a source of knowledge, but it is not
designed for doing mathematics. In this unit, it describes how mathematical
thoughts, methods, and facts are expressed in symbolism. That is, it emphasizes
how to read and write mathematics. Moreover, you will get extensive practice with
mathematical language ideas, to enhance your ability to correctly read, write, speak
and understand mathematics.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

 Discuss the language, symbols, and conventions of mathematics.
 Explain the nature of mathematics as a language.
 Perform operations on mathematical expressions correctly.
 Acknowledge that mathematics is a useful language.

Pre-test

I. IDENTIFICATION:
Identify whether the following is an English noun or mathematical expression,
English sentence or mathematical sentence, encircle the verb:

1. 3 ________________
2. The word ‘cat’ begins with the letter ‘k’ ________________
3. 1 + 2 = 4 ________________
4. 5 – 3 ________________
5. The tiger is black. ________________
6. 2y ________________
7. x – 5 = 0 ________________
8. t + 3 = 3 + t ________________
9. minimaynimoe ________________
10. What is wrong with me. ________________

II. Directions: Translate each English statement to Mathematical statement. Write your
answer in the space provided for.
1. 5 more than x times 3 ________________
2. A number added to 5 minus p ________________
3. A number increased by 13 divided by x ________________
4. 5 less than 10 ________________
5. A number decreased by 7 ________________

Thank you for answering the pretest.

The next section is the content of this unit. It contains vital

information on the topics based on the learning outcomes. Please
read the content.
Content
 Imagine the following scenario: you 're in a math class, and the instructor passes a piece
of paper to every student. The paper is announced to contain Study Strategies for Mathematics
Students; you are to read it and comment on it. But when you look at the text, you find that you
don't understand it is written in a foreign language!

Is the instructor being fair? Of course it's not. In real sense, the instructor is probably
trying to make a point. Although the ideas in the paragraph may be simple, there can be no
access to ideas without a knowledge of the language in which the ideas are expressed. This
situation has a very strong mathematical analogy.People often have difficulty understanding
mathematical ideas: not necessarily because ideas are difficult, but because they are presented
in a foreign language – the language of mathematics.

The language of mathematics makes it easy to express the kinds of thoughts that
mathematicians like to express. It is:

 Precise (able to make very fine distinctions);

 Consice (able to say things briefly);
 Powerful (able to express complex thougts with relative ease).

Every language has its vocabulary (the words), and its rules for combining these words
into complete thoughts (the sentences). Mathematics is no exception. As a first step in
discussing the mathematical language, we will make a very broad classification between the
‘nouns’ of mathematics (used to name mathematical objects of interest) and the ‘sentences’ of
mathematics (which state complete mathematical thoughts).

The classification of mathematical ‘nouns’ versus ‘sentences’ does not typically appear
in math books. However, the author has learned that there is tremendous benefit to be derived
form this classification of the basic building blocks of mathematics. Without such an
understanding, people are more likely to fall prey to common syntax errors – for example,
inappropriately setting things equal to zero, or stringing things together with equal signs, as if ‘=’
means ‘I’m going to the next step.’

In English, nouns are used to name things we want to talk about (like people, places,
and things); whereas sentencesare used to state complete thoughts. A typical English
sentence has at least one noun, and at least one verb. For example, consider the sentence:
“John loves mathematics.” Here, ‘John’ and ‘mathematics’ are nouns; ‘loves’ is a verb.

The mathematical analogue of a ‘noun’ will be called an expression. Thus, an

expression is a name given to a mathematical object of interest. Whereas in English we need
to talk about people, places and things, we’ll see that mathematics has much different ‘object of
interest’.

The mathematical analogue of a ‘sentence’ will also be called a sentence. A

mathematical sentence, just as an English sentence, msut state a complete thought. The table
below summarizes the analogy.
 English/Math Expressions/Sentences
ENGLISH MATHEMATICS

Name given to an NOUN (person, place, thing) EXPRESSION

object of
interest Ex. John, Joe, Carol Ex. 5,2+3,1/2

a complete thought SENTENCE SENTENCE

I love math. 3+4 = 7; 3+4 = 8

Let’s discuss the ideas presented in this table, beginning with some ideas regarding
expressions.

Since people frequently need to work with numbers, these are the most common type of
mathematical expression. And, numbers have lots of different names.

For example, the expressions

5 2+3 10 / 2 (6 - 2) + 1 1+1+1+1+1

all look different, but are all just different names for the same number. This simple idea – that
numbers have lots of different names – is extremely important in mathematics! English has the
same concept: synonyms are words that have the same ( or nearly the same) meaning.
However, this same object, different name idea plays a much more fundamental role in
mathematics that in English.

Next, some ideas regarding sentences are explored. Just as English sentences have
verbs, so do mathematical sentences. In the mathematical sentense ‘ 3 + 4 = 7 ‘, the verb is ‘ =
‘. If you read the sentence as ‘three plus four is equal to seven’, then it’s easy to ‘hear’ the verb.
Indeed, the equal sign ‘ = ‘ is one of the most popular mathematical verbs. Sentences can be
true or false. The notion of truth(i.e., the property of being true or false) is of fundamental
importance in the mathematical language.

Language have conventions. In English, for example, it is conventional to capitalize

proper names (like ‘John’, ‘Carol’ and ‘Joe’). This convention makes it easy for a reader to
distinguish between a common noun (like ‘carol’, a Christmas song) and a proper noun (like
‘Carol’). Mathematics also has its conventions, which help readers distinguish between different
types of mathematical expressions.
Here are examples, to help explore the difference between sentences and expressions:

How to read Solution

1. cat English noun
2. 10 Mathematical expression
3. I love math. English sentence
4. 1 + 3 = 5 ‘one plus three equals five’ or Mathematical sentence
‘one plus three is equal to five’
5. 7 – 4 ‘seven minus four’ Mathematical expression
Note that when you say ‘seven
minus four’, you have not stated
a complete thought.

With several examples behind us, it is now time to make things more precise. In order to
communicate effectively, people must agree on the meanings of certain words and phrases.
When there is ambiguity, confusion can result. Consider the following conversation in a car at a
noisy intersection:
Carol: “Turn left!”
Bob: “I didn’t hear you. Left?”
Carol: “Right!”
Question: Which way will Bob turn? It depends on how Bob interprets the word ‘right’. If he
interprets ‘right’ as the opposite of ‘left’, then he will turn right. If he interprets ‘right’ as ‘correct,’
then he will turn left. Although there are certainly instances in mathematics where context is
used to determine correct meaning, there is much less ambiguity allowed in mathematics than
in English. The primary way that ambiguity is avoided is by the use of
definitions. By defining words and phrases, it is assured that everyone agrees
on their meaning. Here’s our first definition:
An expression is the mathematical analogue of an English noun; it is correct arrangement of
mathematical symbols used to represent a mathematical object of interest. An expression does
NOT state a complete though; in particular, it does not make sense to ask if an expression is
true or false.

In most mathematics books, the word ‘expression is never defined, but is used as a
convenient catch-all to talk about anything (including sentences) to which the auther wants to
draw attention. However, expressions and sentencesare totally different entities. They don’t
overlap. If something is an expression, then it’s not a sentence. If something is a sentence, then
it’s not an expression. Be careful about this.
 Comparision between the English Language and the Mathematical Language
English Mathematics

Symbols English English alphabet, numerals, Greek letters, grouping

alphabet and symbols, special symbols
punctuations
Name Noun Expressions
Complete Sentence Sentence
thought
Action Verbs Operations, and other actions (e.g. simplify, rationalize)

What’s in a Verbs Equality, inequality, membership in a set

sentence
Attribute of a Fact or fiction True or false
sentence

There are many types of expressions in mathematics, because there are many types of
mathematical objects. Some types of expressions are listed below. Don’t worry about words you
don’t recognize: our primary concern is only with numbers and sets.

NUMBERS SETS FUNCTIONS

ORDERED PAIRS MATRICES VECTORS

Three of the most commont types of expression are numbers, sets, and functions.
(These are like the people, places, and things in English.)

As mentioned earlier, a key idea in mathematics is the expressions have lots of different
names. Even more importantly, the name we use depends on what we are doing with the
expression. For example, the number 1 goes by all the following names:

½+½ 2–1 ½+¼+¼ 5/5 1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3

The name ½ + ½ is appropriate, for example, if we have to divide a candy bar evenly between
two people.

The name 1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 is appropriate if we need to measure one cup of floud, but only have a
one-third cup measure.

The most common problem type involving an expression is:

SIMPLIFY: (some expression)

To simplify an expression means to get a different name for the expression, that is some
way is simpler.

The notion of ‘simpler’, however, can have different meanings:

 FEWER SYMBOLS: often, ‘simpler’ means using fewer symbols.

For example, ‘3 + 1 + 5’ and ‘9’ are both names for the same number, but ‘9’ uses few
symbols.
 FEWER OPERATIONS: Sometimes, ‘simpler’ means using fewer operation (an
‘operation’ is something like addition or multiplication).
For example, ‘ 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3’ and ‘5.3’ are both names for the same number, but the
latter uses fewer operations. (Recall that the centered dot denotes multiplication.) There
are four additions used in ‘3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3’, but only one multiplication used in ‘5.3’.
 BETTER SUITED FOR CURRENT USE:In some cases, ‘simpler’ means better suited
for the current use.
For example, we’ll see in a future section that the name 1 foot / 12 inches is a great
name for the number ‘1’ if we need to convert units of inches to units of feet.
 PREFERRED STYLE/FORMAT:Finally, ‘simpler’ often means in a preferred style or
format.
For example, 2/4 (two-fourths) and ½ (one-half) are both names for the same number,
but people usually prefer the name ½; it is said to bin ‘reduced form’ or ‘simples form’.

Next, we talk more precisely about mathematical sentences. First, a definition:

A mathematical sentence is the analagoe of an English sentence; it is a correct arrangment of

mathematical symbols that state a complete thought. It makes sense to ask about the TRUTH
of a sentence: Is it true? Is it false? Is it sometimes true/sometimes false?

The sentence ‘ 1 + 2 = 3’ is read as ‘one plus two equals three’ or ‘one plus two is equal to
three’. A complete thought is being stated, which in this case is true. The sentence is
‘diagrammed’ below:

A question commonly encountered, when presenting the sentece example ‘ 1 + 2 = 3’, is the
following:

If ‘ = ‘ is the verb, then what is the ‘ + ‘ ?

Here’s the answer. The symbol ‘ + ‘ is a connective; a connective is used to ‘connect’ objects of
a given type to get a ‘compound’ object of the same type. Here, the numbers 1 and 2 are
‘connected’ to give the new number 1 + 2. A familiar English connective for nouns is the word
‘and’: ‘cat’ is a noun, ‘dog’ is a noun, ‘cat and dog’ is a ‘compound’ noun.

There are two primary ways to decide whether something is a sentence, or not:
  Read it aloud, and ask yourself the question: Does it state a complete thought? If the
anser is ‘yes’, then it’s a sentence.
Notice that expressions do not state a complete thought. Consider, for example, the
number ‘1 + 2’. Say it aloud: ‘one plus two’. Have you stated a complete thought? NO!
But, if you say: ‘1 + 2 = 4’, then you have stated a complete (false) thought.
 Alternately, you can ask yourself the question: Does it make sense to ask about the
TRUTH of this object? Consider again the number ‘1 + 2’ . Is ‘1 + 2’ true? Is ‘1 + 2’ false?
These questions don’t make sense, because it doesn’t make sense to ask about the
truth of an expression!

Translating Words to Symbols

Practical problems seldom, if ever, come in equation form. The job of the problem
solvers is to translate the problem from phrases and statements into mathematical expressions
and equations, and then to solve the equations.

As problem solvers, our job is made simpler if we are able to translate verbal phrases to
mathematical expressions and if we follow the Five Step Method of solving applied problems.
To help us translate from words to symbols, we can use the following Mathematics Dictionary.

Mathematics Dictionary
Word or Phrase Mathematical Operation
Sum, sum of, added to, increased by, +
more than, and, plus
Difference, minus, subtracted from, -
decreased by, less, less than
Product, the product of, of, multiplied by, x, .
times, per
Quotient, divided by, ratio, per ÷
Equals, is equal to, is, the result is, =
becomes
A number, an unknown quantity, an x ( or any symbol)
unknown, a quantity
Source: https://imathblog.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/translation-of-mathematical-statement-in-
symbols/)

For examples: Translate each phrase or sentence into a mathematical expression or equation
below:

1. Twelve more than a number.

Solution: 12 + x
2. Eight minus a number.
Solution: 8–x
3. An unknown quantity less fourteen
Solution: x – 14
4. Six times a number is fifty-four
Solution: 6x = 54
5. Two ninths of a number is eleven
Solution: 2/9x = 11
Some difficulties in Mathematics Language

1. The word “is” could mean equality, inequality or membership in a set.

2. Different uses of a number; to express quantity (cardinal), to indicate the order (ordinal),
and as a label (nominal).
3. Mathematical objects may be represented in many ways, such as sets and functions.
4. The words "and' & "or" means different from its English use.

Four Basic Concepts:

1. Sets (relationships, operations, properties)

2. Relations (Equivalence relations)
3. Functions (Injective, Surjective, Bijective)
4. Binary Operations

Now that you had learned about the Mathematical Language

and Symbols, do the succeeding activities.
If you have questions regarding the activity, feel free to ask
or leave a message in google classroom or messenger.

Learning Activities

Activity 1.IDENTIFICATION

Identify whether the following is an English noun or mathematical expression,

English sentence or mathematical sentence, encircle the verb:

1. 3 ____________________
2. The word ‘cat’ begins with the letter ‘k’ ____________________
3. 1 + 2 = 4 ____________________
4. 5 – 3 ____________________
5. The tiger is black. ____________________
6. y ____________________
7. x – 5 = 0 ____________________
8. t + 3 = 3 + t ____________________
9. Hat sat bat. ____________________
10. Siocon is a hidden paradise in ZamboNorte. ____________________

Activity 2. TRUE/FALSE
Directions: Read each Mathematical/English sentence below carefully. Write True if the
sentence is correct or else write False if the sentence is wrong on the black space.

1. The word “lion” begins with the letter “n”. ____________________

2. 2 + 7 = 8 ____________________
3. The cat is black. ____________________
4. x = 1 ____________________
5. x – 2 = 0 ____________________
6. t + 3 = 3 + t ____________________
7. This sentence is false. ____________________
8. x + 0 = x ____________________
9. 7 = 3 + 4 ____________________
10. t = 2 ____________________

Activity 3. TRANSLATE TO MATHEMATICAL STATEMENT

Directions: Translate each English statementto Mathematical statement. Write your answer in
the space provided for.

1. Ten more than x

2. A number added to 5
3. A number increased by 13
4. 5 less than 10
5. A number decreased by 7
6. Difference between x and 3
7. Different between 3 and x
8. Twice a number
9. Ten percent of x
10. Ten time x

Great job! You may now take the assessment. If you have not
completed the task, or you have difficulty in accomplishing the activity, please
send me a message to our googleclass, or you may ask clarifications through
a text message or phone calls on the contact number included in your course
guide.

Assessment
I. Matching Types:
Directions: Match each phrase in Column A to each expression in Column B. Write your answer
in the space provided. See page ____ or you may click this link for the answer key.
Column A Column B
_______ 1. The product of a number and three. a. n/3
_______ 2. The quotient of 3 and a number. b. 4p
_______ 3. 4 times a number. c. n.3
_______ 4. A number divided by 3. d. 2m
_______ 5. Twice a number. e. 3/n
_______ 6. The product of x and the sum of y and z. f. (x+y)(x-y)
_______ 7. The product of the sum of x and y and the difference g. x + (y + z)
of x and y.
_______ 8. The difference of the product x and y and z. h. x(y – z)
_______ 9. The product of x and the difference of y and z. i. xy-z
______ 10. The sum of x and the sum of y and z j. x(y+z)

II. IDENTIFICATION
Identify whether the following is an English noun or mathematical expression, English sentence
or mathematical sentence, encircle the verb:

1. Lion ____________________
2. The word ‘math’ begins with the letter ‘N’ ____________________
3. 3 + 4 = 5 ____________________
4. 8 – 7 ____________________
5. The panther is black. ____________________
6. y ____________________
7. 0 = 5 - 3 ____________________
8. b + 5 = 5 + b ____________________
9. John loves mathematics. ____________________
10. Mathematics ____________________

Congratulations!You did a great job!For those who have poor

connectivity or unavailability of internet connection please notify me so
I could extend the deadline of the submission for your output or will
give you another activity.
You had just completed this unit. You are now ready to take
Unit 3.