MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE AND

SYMBOLS Mathematical Sentence

What is Mathematical Language? Sentence (or mathematical sentence) – a
statement about two expressions, either using
It is the system used to communicate
numbers, variables, or a combination of both.
mathematical ideas.
Uses symbols or words like equals, greater than,
It consists of some natural language using
or less than.
technical terms (mathematical terms) and
grammatical conventions, supplemented by a It is a correct arrangement of mathematical
highly specialized symbolic notation for symbols that states a complete thought and can
mathematical formulas. be determined whether it’s true, false,
sometimes true/sometimes false.
The IMPORTANCE OF MATHEMATICS
LANGUAGE Expressions & Sentences
1. According to Schiro (1997) one very important
element in a student’s mathematical success is
his being able to communicate effectively in
mathematics.

2. Students is given opportunities to correctly

read, write, speak about and understand the
math language in the classroom

3. Discover the purpose for communicating Conventions in the Mathematical Language

mathematically with numerals or symbols.
Characteristics of MATH LANGUAGE
Precise – well defined and clearly stated, lacks
ambiguity unlike ordinary language
Concise – briefly stated
Powerful – complex ideas are well expressed
Nontemporal – No tenses (present, past or
future)
Mathematical Expression
An expression (or mathematical expression) is a
finite combination of symbols that is well-defined
according to rules that depend on the context.
It is a correct arrangement of mathematical
symbols to represent the object of interest, does
not contain a complete thought, and cannot be
determined if it is true or false.
Mathematical Convention is a fact, name,
notation, or usage which is generally agreed upon
by mathematicians.
PEMDAS (Parenthesis, Exponent, Multiplication,
Division, Addition and Subtraction.)
All mathematical names and symbols are
conventional.
Symbols can designate numbers, variables,
operations, functions, brackets, punctuations,
and groupings to help determine order of
operations, and other aspects of mathematical
syntax.
Formulas are written predominantly left to right,
even when the writing system of the substrate
language is right- to-left.
Latin alphabet is commonly used for simple
variables and parameters.
 Example:

Mathematical expressions E = {a, e, i, o, u} Roster method

= (equal) < (less-than) > (greater-than) E = {x x is a collection of vowel letters} Rule method

+ (addition) – (subtraction) x (multiplication)

÷ (division) ∈(element) ∀ (for all)

∃(there exists) ∞(infinity) → (implies)

↔ (if and only if) ≈(approximately) ∴(therefore)

Other symbols

THE LANGUAGE OF SETS

Set theory is the branch of mathematics that
studies sets.

George Cantor (1845-1918) is a German

Mathematician He is considered as the founder
of set theory as a mathematical discipline.

Sets and Elements

A set is a well-defined collection of objects. The
objects are called the elements or members of
the set.

∈ element of a set

not an element of a set.

Methods of Writing Sets

Roster Method. The elements of the set are
enumerated and separated by a comma it is also
called tabulation method.

Rule Method. A descriptive phrase is used to

describe the elements or members of the set it is
also called set builder notation, symbol it is
written as {x P(x)}.
Venn Diagram Symbolically: A∩B = {x x ∈ A x ∈ B}.

Venn Diagram is a pictorial presentation of Complement

relation and operations on set.
Also known set diagrams, it show all
hypothetically possible logical relations between
finite collections of sets.
The complement of A (or absolute complement
of A), denoted A’, is the set of all elements x in U
such that x is not in A.

Constructed with a collection of simple closed

Difference
curves drawn in the plane or normally comprise
of overlapping circles. The difference of A and B (or relative
complement of B with respect to A), denoted A
The interior of the circle symbolically represents
B, is the set of all elements x in U
the elements (or members) of the set, while the
such that x is in A and x is not in B.
exterior represents elements which are not
members of the set.

Introduced by John Venn in his paper "On the Symmetric Difference

Diagrammatic and Mechanical Representation of
Propositions and Reasoning’s"
Operations on Sets
If set A and B are two sets, their symmetric
difference as the set consisting of all elements
that belong to A or to B, but not to both A and B.

✓ Union

✓ Intersection Disjoint Sets

✓ Complement Two set are called disjoint (or non-intersecting) if

and only if, they have no elements in common.
✓ Difference

✓ Symmetric Difference
Ordered Pairs
✓ Disjoint Sets
In the ordered pair (a, b), a is called the first
✓ Ordered Pairs component and b is called the second
Union component. In general, (a, b) ≠ (b, a).

The union of A and B, denoted A∪B, is the set of

all elements x in U such that x is in A or x is in B.

Symbolically: A∪B = {x x ∈ A v x ∈ B}.

Intersection

The intersection of A and B, denoted A∩B, is the

set of all elements x in U such that x is in A and x
is in B.
Cartesian Product

The product of two sets: the product of set X and

set Y is the set that contains all ordered pairs ( x,
y ) for which x belongs to X and y belongs to Y