MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD: Simplified 1

SCHAPTER 2: SPEAKING MATHEMATICALLY

Learning Objectives: At the end of this module, the students will be able to:
1. Introduce different types and common variables used in mathematical
statements.
2. Describe language of mathematics in terms of the following
components:
a. Vocabulary of symbols or words
b. Grammar consisting of rules of how these symbols may be used
c. Range of meanings that can be communicated with these
symbols.

3. Identify the relation and functions

4. Learn some important kinds of mathematical statements.

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this module, students are able to:

1. Identified and analyzed different common and types of variables used

in mathematical statements.
2. Described language of mathematics
3. Identified the relation and functions
4. Learned some important kinds of mathematical statements.

In an attempt to better understand the

universe, ancient astronomers classified certain
groups of stars as constellations. Today we still find
it extremely helpful to classify items into groups
that enable us to find order and meaning in our
complicated world.
The language of mathematics is the system
used by mathematicians to
communicate mathematical ideas among
themselves. This language consists of a substrate of
some natural language (for example English)
using technical terms and grammatical
conventions that are peculiar to mathematical discourse, supplemented by a highly
specialized symbolic notation for mathematical formulas. Often when you start
work on a mathematical problem, you may have a vague on how to proceed. The
closer you get to a solution, the more your thinking has crystallized and the more
you to understand, the more you need language that expresses mathematical ideas
clearly, precisely and ambiguously. (Aufmann, 2018)
 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD: Simplified 2

Mathematical notation is central to the power of modern mathematics.

Though the algebra of Al-Khwārizmī did not use such symbols, it solved equations
using many more rules than are used today with symbolic notation, and had great
difficulty working with multiple variables (which using symbolic notation can
simply be called, x, y, z, etc.). Sometimes formulas cannot be understood without
a written or spoken explanation, but often they are sufficient by themselves, and
sometimes they are difficult to read aloud or information is lost in the translation
to words, as when several parenthetical factors are involved or when a complex
structure like a matrix is manipulated.
Language of instruction is very crucial to effective education at every level
because it serves as a vital key to it. According to Bandele (1995), language is one
of the factors that define culture and it occupies a very important position in the
curriculum of any school system. Obemeata (1999) said that the low proficiency of
many students in English language tends to mask their intelligence, this is because
when students are confronted with word problems in mathematics, they are
usually handicapped by language difficulty. This implies that linguistic difficulties
have serious effects on student’s ability to think, read and write effectively.
Linguistic difficulties also accounts for the observed slowness in students’
mathematics performance. According to O’Halloran (1999), the student’s
creativity is enhanced if he comes to meet an already familiar language at school,
on the contrary, the student’s spirit of innovation may be inhibited if he (she) is
confronted with an unfamiliar language at school. In support, Halliday (1978) said
that once a student does not get the language register for a particular concept;
subject; or course, such a student cannot perform well in that subject area.
According to him, register is a set of meanings appropriate to a particular function
of language, together with the words and structures which expresses these
meanings. He therefore concluded that mathematics register is that register that
belongs to the language of mathematics. Thus, learning the language of a new
discipline is part of learning the new discipline; in fact, language and learning
cannot be separated.
In solving mathematical problems, it is not enough to work with language
alone because mathematics draws on multiple semiotic (meaning creating) system
to construct knowledge. This semiotics includes symbols, oral speech, written
words, and visual representations such as graphs and diagrams. In addition,
Mathematics uses features such as order, position, relative, size and orientation in
meaningful ways (Pimm, 1987). Consequently, Mathematics construct are often
difficult to articulate in ordinary language because its symbolism has developed
over time to express meanings that go beyond what ordinary language expresses.
This assertion was supported by O’Halloran (1999), who said that mathematics
symbolism can be used to describe relationships that represent information
presented in ways that natural language cannot. While language provides the
contextual information about the situation, the mathematics symbolism describes
the pattern of relationships between the entities. Thus, the written language and
oral language could work together to construct meaning as the teacher and
 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD: Simplified 3

students interact in discussing Mathematical problem. The vocabulary of math

draws from many different alphabets and includes symbols unique to math. A
mathematical equation may be stated in words to form a sentence that has a noun
and a verb, just like a sentence in a spoken language.
Like any other profession, mathematics also has its own brand of technical
terminology. The mathematical notation used for formulas has its own grammar,
not dependent on a specific natural language, but shared internationally by
mathematicians regardless of their mother tongues. This includes the conventions
that the formulas are written predominantly left to right, even when the writing
system of the substrate language is right-to-left, and that the Latin alphabet is
commonly used for simple variables and parameters. Such mathematical formulas
can be a part of speech in a natural-language phrase, or even assume the role of a
full-fledged sentence. For example, the formula in an equation, can be considered
a sentence or an independent clause in which the greater than or equal to symbol
has the role of a symbolic verb. In careful speech, this can be made clear by
pronouncing "≥" as "is greater than or equal to", but in an informal context
mathematicians may shorten this to "greater or equal" and yet handle this
grammatically like a verb (Bogomolny, 2017). Mathematics uses symbols to
represent concepts, functions, values, operations, or structures (e.g., sequences).
Most ideas and concepts are eventually illustrated with the use of symbols. Without
proper symbols, it would be very difficult to express procedures or relations.
Imagine trying to solve an equation using words, it would take several paragraphs.
However, words must accompany the introduction and use of mathematical
symbols given that their purpose is to consolidate meaning. (Gottlieb, et. Al., 2013)
The main objective of this chapter is to introduce to the students the
mathematical way of thinking that can serve in a wide variety of situations, the
special language that is a foundation for much mathematical thought, language of
variable, sets relations and functions. It will focus mathematical notation, its
meaning and how it will be used to formulate mathematical problems into
equations.
Makes it easy to express the kinds of symbols, syntax and rules that
mathematicians like to do and characterized by the following:
A. Precise – able to make distinctions
B. Concise – able to say things briefly
C. Powerful – able to express complex thoughts with relative ease

Mathematical Sentence
A correct arrangement of mathematical symbols used to represent a
mathematical symbols that states the complete thought.
 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD: Simplified 4

Definition of Terms:
Variable - comes from a Latin word, variābilis, with "vari(us)"' meaning
"various" and "-ābilis"' meaning "-able", meaning "capable of changing"
- It is a symbol, commonly a single letter, that represents a
number, called the value of the variable, which is either arbitrary, not fully
specified, or unknown.
It is a quantity that may change within the context of a mathematical problem
or experiment. The letters x, y, and z are common generic symbols used for variables

The advantage of using variables is that it allows the reader to give temporary
name to what the reader are seeking what value is, so that he can perform concrete
computation with it to determine the possible values.
Variables can be used anywhere an answer is required but not known. It can
be used to find unknown numbers. It can be used to graph equations where you have
two variables. To graph, you would choose various numbers to put into one of
the variables and calculate the other. (https://study.com/academy/lesson. Oct 19, 2015)
Why do we need variables?

Variables can represent numeric values, characters, character strings, or

memory addresses. Variables play an important role in computer programming
because they enable programmers to write flexible programs. Rather than entering
data directly into a program, a programmer can use variables to represent the data.
(https://www.ck12.org/book/section.Dec 3, 2015)
How are variables used in real life?

You can use a variable expression to describe a real world situation where
one or more quantities have an unknown value or can change in value. To write
a variable expression for a real world situation: Figure out which quantity in the
situation is unknown and define a variable to represent the unknown quantity.
(https://www.ck12.org/book/section.Dec 3, 2015)

LEARNING MODULE 2.1: Mathematical Symbols

Mathematics is written in a symbolic language that is designed to express
 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD: Simplified 5

mathematical thoughts. This module describes how mathematical thoughts,

methods, and facts are expressed in symbolism. That is, it emphasizes how to read
and write mathematics. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315712910)
Teaching and learning the language of mathematics is vital for the
development of the mathematical proficiency. Students’ mathematical vocabulary
learning is very important part of their language development and ultimately
mathematical proficiency. (www.tandfonline.com/doi/full)
In order to be considered a language, a system of communication must have
vocabulary, grammar, syntax and people who use should understand it.
Mathematics meets this definition of a language. Math is a universal language. The
symbol and organization to form equations are the same in every country of the
world. (https://www.thoughtco.com/why-mathematics-is-a-language-4158142,
June 27, 2019)
“Mathematics is the language in which God has written the universe” The
first mathematical symbols were signs for the depiction of numbers — ciphers, the
appearance of which apparently preceded the introduction of written language. The
most ancient systems of numbering (Numbers representations), the Babylonian and
the Egyptian date back to around 3500 B.C
(https://encyclopediaofmath.org/wiki/Mathematical_symbol. Dec 13, 2013)
Euler deserves the credit for a considerable proportion of modern
Mathematical notation. He introduced the first accepted symbol for a variable
operation, the function symbol (fx) (from the latin functio = function).
(https://encyclopediaofmath.org/wiki/Mathematical_symbols. Dec 13, 2013)

Table of mathematical symbols

First author
Symbol Name Date of earliest use
to use
1360 (approx.),
abbreviation for
+ plus sign
Latin et resembling the
Nicole Oresme
plus sign
1489 (first appearance of

− minus sign
minus sign, and also first
appearance of plus sign
Johannes
Widmann
in print)
 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD: Simplified 6

First author
Symbol Name Date of earliest use
to use
1525 (without
√ radical symbol (for square root) the vinculum above
the radicand)
Christoff Rudolff

1544 (in handwritten

Michael Stifel
parentheses (for precedence notes)
(...) grouping) 1556 Niccolò
Tartaglia
1557 Robert Recorde
= equals sign

1595 Bartholomaeus
. decimal separator
Pitiscus
1618 William
× multiplication sign
Oughtred
1628
± plus-minus sign

∷ proportion sign

n
√ radical symbol (for nth root)
1629 Albert Girard

1631 Thomas Harriot

< strict inequality signs (less-than
sign and greater-than sign)
>
1636 (using Roman James Hume
x y
superscript notation
numerals as
superscripts)
(for exponentiation)
1637 (in the modern René Descartes
form)
radical symbol (for square root) 1637 (with René Descartes
√̅ the vinculum above
the radicand)
percent sign 1650 (approx.) unknown
%
∞ infinity sign 1655 John Wallis

division sign (a 1659 Johann Rahn

÷ repurposed obelus variant)
 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD: Simplified 7

First author
Symbol Name Date of earliest use
to use
1670 (with the horizontal John Wallis
bar over the inequality
≤ unstrict inequality signs (less-
than or equals to and greater-
sign, rather than below it)

≥ than or equals to) 1734 (with double

horizontal bar below the Pierre Bouguer
inequality sign)
differential sign
d
1675
∫ integral sign

1684 (deriving from use

of colon to denote
: colon (for division)
fractions, dating back to
Gottfried Leibniz
1633)
1698 (perhaps deriving
from a much earlier use
· middle dot (for multiplication)
of middle dot to separate
juxtaposed numbers)
1718 (deriving from

⁄ division slash (a.k.a. solidus)

horizontal fraction bar,
invented by Arabs in the
Thomas
Twining
12th century)

≠ inequality sign (not equal to) unknown

x′ prime symbol (for derivative) 1748 Leonhard Euler

∑ summation symbol 1755

William
∝ proportionality sign 1768
Emerson

∂ partial differential sign

(a.k.a. curly d or Jacobi's delta)
1770
Marquis de
Condorcet
1801 (first appearance in

≡ identity sign (for congruence

relation)
print; used previously in
personal writings of Carl Friedrich
Gauss) Gauss

[x] integral part (a.k.a. floor) 1808

! factorial 1808 Christian Kramp

∏ product symbol 1812

Carl Friedrich
Gauss
 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD: Simplified 8

First author
Symbol Name Date of earliest use
to use
Joseph
⊂ set inclusion signs (subset
1817
Gergonne
of, superset of)
⊃ 1890 Ernst Schröder

Karl
absolute value notation 1841
|...| Weierstrass
determinant of a matrix 1841
Arthur Cayley
‖...‖ matrix notation 1843[1]

1846 (previously used by

nabla symbol (for vector William Rowan
∇ differential)
Hamilton as a general-
purpose operator sign)
Hamilton

∩ intersection
1888
Giuseppe
Peano
∪ union

aleph symbol (for transfinite

ℵ cardinal numbers)
1893 Georg Cantor

membership sign (is an Giuseppe

∈ element of)
1894
Peano
braces, a.k.a. curly
{...} brackets (for set notation)
1895 Georg Cantor

Blackboard bold capital N

ℕ (for natural numbers set)
1895
Blackboard bold capital Q Giuseppe
ℚ (for rational numbers set) Peano
existential quantifier (there
∃ exists)
1897

· middle dot (for dot product)

1902 J. Willard Gibbs
multiplication sign (for cross
× product)
Bertrand
∨ logical disjunction (a.k.a. OR) 1906
Russell

(...) 1909[1] Maxime Bôcher

[...] matrix notation

1909[1]
Gerhard
Kowalewski
 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD: Simplified 9

First author
Symbol Name Date of earliest use
to use
Arnold
∮ contour integral sign 1917
Sommerfeld
Blackboard bold capital Z Edmund
ℤ (for integer numbers set)
1930
Landau
Gerhard
∀ universal quantifier (for all) 1935
Gentzen
1936 (to denote images
Øystein Ore
of specific elements)
→ arrow (for function notation)
1940 (in the present form
Witold Hurewicz
of f: X → Y)

André
∅ empty set sign 1939 Weil / Nicolas
Bourbaki[2]
Blackboard bold capital C Nathan
ℂ (for complex numbers set)
1939
Jacobson
end of proof sign
∎ (a.k.a. tombstone)
1950[3] Paul Halmos

greatest integer ≤
⌊x⌋ x (a.k.a. floor)
1962[4]
Kenneth E.
Iverson
⌈x⌉ smallest integer ≥
x (a.k.a. ceiling)

Sources:

1. Jump up to:a b c "Earliest Uses of Symbols for Matrices and Vectors". jeff560.tripod.com.
Retrieved 18 December 2016.
2. Weil, André (1992), The Apprenticeship of a Mathematician, Springer,
p. 114, ISBN 9783764326500.
3. Halmos, Paul (1950). Measure Theory. New York: Van Nostrand. pp. vi. The symbol ∎ is used
throughout the entire book in place of such phrases as "Q.E.D." or "This completes the proof of the
theorem" to signal the end of a proof.
4. Kenneth E. Iverson (1962), A Programming Language, Wiley, retrieved 20 April 2016

Writing Sentences Using Variable

Why is mathematical thinking important?

Mathematical thinking is important for teaching mathematics.

Conjecturing and Convincing. Being able to use mathematical thinking in solving
problems is one of the most fundamental goals of teaching mathematics, but it is
also one of its most elusive goals.
(https://www.criced.tsukuba.ac.jp/apec/apec2007/paper_pdf/kayestacey.pdf)
 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD: Simplified 10

LEARNING MODULE 2.2: Kinds of Mathematical Statement

Writing Mathematical Language as an Expression or a Sentence

It is a finite combination of symbols that is well-formed according to rules that

depend on the context.

A correct arrangement of mathematical symbols used to represent a

mathematical object of interest.

Some Important Kinds Mathematical Statement

Universal Statement- A certain property is true for all elements in a set. It

contains the word “for all”

Example: All positive numbers are greater than zero

Conditional Statement- if one thing is true, then other things also has to be true.
Contains the word “if-then”

Example: if 378 is divisible by 18, then 378 is divisible by 6

Existential Statement- there is at least one thing for which the property is true.

Example: There is a prime number that is even

Universal Conditional Statement. It refers to a statement that is both universal

and conditional which contains some variation of the words “for all” and conditional
statements contain versions of the words “if-then”.

Example:

1. Any student with a GPA of better than 3.5 must study a lot.
2. If a polygon has 3 sides, it must be a triangle.
3. All real numbers are positive when squared.
4. A girl has got to be crazy to date that guy.

Solutions: (“for all”)

1. students x, if x's GPA is better than 3.5, x studies a lot.

2. polygons p, if p has 3 sides, p is a triangle.
 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD: Simplified 11

3. numbers n, if n is real, n2 is positive.

4. girls g, if g dates that guy, g is crazy.

Rewriting Universal Conditional Statement

Example:

Are there numbers with the property that the sum of their square equals the
square of their sum.

1. Are there numbers p & q with the property that p2 + q2 =(p+q) 2?,
2. Are there numbers p & q such that p2+ q2 = (p+q) 2
3. Do there exist any numbers p & q such that p2+ q2 = (p+q) 2?.

Universal Existential Statement. It refers to a statement that is universal

because its initial part says that a certain property is true for all objects of a given
sort, and it is existential because its second part assets the presence of something.

Rewriting Universal Existential Statement

Every pot has a lid.

1. All pots have lids.

2. or all pots P, there is a lid for P
3. For all pots P, there is a lid L, such that L is a lid for P

All bottles have cap.

1. Every bottle has cap.

2. For all bottles B, there are caps for B.
3. For all bottles B, there is a cap C such that C is a cap for B.

Existential Universal Statement. It refers to a statement such that the first part
assures that a certain object exists and is universal since its second part says that the
question fulfils a specific property for everything of a specific kind. In mathematics,
we can generate patterns using one or several mathematical operations repeatedly.
As previously discussed in module 1, we follow different patterns on plants, flowers,
animals and other marine species. This module demonstrate the mathematical idea
of how Fibonacci numbers was discovered.
 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD: Simplified 12

Fill in the blanks to rewrite the statement in three different ways.

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

1. Some person(s) in my class is (are) at least as old as every person in my class

2. There is a person p in my class such 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.

CHAPTER 2. EXERCISES:
Fill in the blanks using a variables to rewrite the given statement.

1. Is there a real number whose square root is -1 ?

a. Is there a real number x such that __________?
b. Does there exist ____________ such that √x = -1 ?
2. Given any real number, there is a real number that is lesser.
a. Given any real number r, there is ________s such that s
is__________?
b. For any ________, ________ such that s < r.

Fill in the blanks to rewrite the given statements.

3. For all real numbers x, if x is an integer then x is a rational number.

a. If a real number is an integer, then _________
b. For all integers x, _____________
c. If x _______________, then _____________
d. All integers x, then _________________
4. There is positive integer whose square is equal to itself
a. Some _____________ has the property that its ________
b. There is a real number r such that the square of r is_________
c. There is a real number r with the property that for every real
number s _____________.
5. For all equations E, if E is quadratic then E has two at most two real
solutions.
a. All quadratic equations ____________________
b. Every quadratic equation _________________
c. If E _________________, then E _______________
d. If an equation is quadratic, then it _________________
e. For all quadratic equations E, _________________
 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD: Simplified 13

References:

1. Aufmann, Richard N. et al., Mathematics in the Modern World, Rex Bookstore,

Inc. 2018
2. Epp, Susana S., Dicrete Mathematics: An Introduction to Mathematical
Reasoning, 1st Edition, Cengage Learning, 2011
3. Rushdoony, Rousas J., Systemic Theology, Vol 1, p. 196
4. Aufmann, Richard N. et al., Mathematical Excursion, 14th Edition, Cengage
Learning, 2018
5. https://www.math.fsu.edu/wooland/hm2ed/Part2module1.pdf
6. Karl Menger, "On Variables in Mathematics and in Natural Science", The
British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 5:18:134–142 (August
1954) JSTOR 685170
7. Jaroslav Peregrin, "Variables in Natural Language: Where do they come
from?", in M. Boettner, W. Thümmel, eds., Variable-Free Semantics, 20
8. Boswell, L.A., Copley, J., Gyles, R., Jackson, A.L., Manfre, E. Gillespie, J.G.,
Reynosa, M.A., Shaw, J., Stiff, L., & Thompson, C. (2001). Math central. Boston,
MA: Houghton Mifflin.
9. Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (2010),
http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards/mathematics.
10. Dale, T. C. & Cuevas, G. J. (1992). “Integrating Mathematics and Language
Learning.” In P. Richard-Amato & A. Snow (Eds.), The Multicultural
Classroom: Readings for Content Area Teachers. NY: Addison-Wesley.
11. Egbert, J., & Ernst-Slavit, G. (2010). Accessing Academics: Planning
Instruction for K-12 Classrooms with ELLs. Boston, MA: Pearson.
12. Kassim Olusanmi Ajayi, et al. Speaking Mathematically: The Role of Language
and Communication in Teaching and Learning of Mathematics, 2015
13. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315712910
14. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full
15. https://encyclopediaofmath.org/wiki/Mathematical_symbol

Supplementary Links to Learning Materials

1. ONLINE%20TEACHING/MODULE%20MATH%20IN%20THE%20MODERN%
20WORLD/Module%204.pdf

Universal Conditional Statement

1. https://www.csm.ornl.gov/~sheldon/ds/sec1.6.html
2. https://www.coursehero.com/file/p3r697/10-A-universal-
conditionalstatement-is-a-statement-that-is-both-universal-and/
3. https://www.mathgoodies.com/lessons/vol9/conditional
 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD: Simplified 14

Universal Existential Statement

1. https://sites.google.com/a/cs.christuniversity.in/1425002-
discretemathematical-structures/unit-i-foundations/c-existential-and-
universalstatements
2. https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/2150079/existential-universal-
vsuniversal-existential-quantifiers
3. https://www.coursehero.com/file/p1h0ju6/Universal-Existential-
StatementsThese-statements-are-both-universal-and/

Existential Universal Statement

1. cs.unc.edu/~yangk/comp283/slides/1.1_var.pptx
2. http://math.slu.edu/~freeman/Discrete_Lecture_1.pdf