Mathematics in the Modern World Homework

Submitted by: Matt Jimuel R. Quililan

The diagram mainly shows the difference in usage and definition of sentences in Mathematics
and English. What do we usually observe in a sentence? A set of words/objects, right? but we all know
that not all set of words can be considered a sentence, sometimes it could only be a phrase. So what
determines that a set of words/objects is a sentence?

In English, a sentence is made up of a noun (a name given to an object of interest) could be a person,
place, or thing and must have a complete thought, either be true, false, sometimes true/sometimes
false.

For example, The word ‘cat’ begins with letter ‘c’. The word ‘cat’ is a noun and we all know that it is
“true” that the word ‘cat’ starts with C. Is there a noun and a complete thought? Yes. Therefore, the
example is an English sentence.

A sentence in Mathematics, on the other hand, is made up of an expression (a name given to

mathematical objects of interest), could be a number, a set, a function, a matrix, or an ordered pair, and
must also have a complete thought, either true, false, sometimes true/sometimes false.

For example, 1+2 = 4 , in this Mathematical sentence, 1+2 = 4 is the expression and we all know that the
sentence is “false” because the sum of 1 and 2 is not 4, but rather a 3. Is there an expression and a
complete thought? Yes. Therefore, the example is an Mathematical sentence.

So what is the main difference between the two? English sentences uses nouns while Mathematical
sentences uses expressions but both must have a complete thought for it to be a sentence.