Agree or Disagree?

 
Read the following statements, and tell whether you agree or disagree with the given
statements.
- Mathematics is awesome.
- Magaling ako sa matematika.
- Les maths sont amusantes.
- 我愛數學

- (m+n)3=m3+mn3+n3(m+n)3=m3+mn3+n3

- ∀𝑥∈R,𝑥2 ≥0
- Παρακαλώ
- Hartelijk bedankt
 
From the given examples above, you can see the importance of Language in real life.
There are unfamiliar characters in the written Mandarin language, which makes learning
Mandarin more difficult. But it has its alphabet, the same way the English or Greek
languages have their own alphabet. The thing is, Mathematics is also a language,
it has its own symbol system, as other languages have their own alphabet.
Characteristics of Mathematical Language

 Precise - it is able to make very fine distinctions or definitions among a set

of mathematical symbols.
 Concise - mathematicians can express otherwise long expositions or
sentences briefly using the language of Mathematics.
 Powerful - one can express complex thoughts with relative ease.

For example, consider the sentence “The sum of any two real numbers is also a
real number.”
In mathematical notation, this declarative sentence can be written as: ∀𝑎, 𝑏 ∈ R, 𝑎 + 𝑏 ∈
R.
 
 Mathematics is a Symbolic Language
Some of the symbols we will use in the module are the following:
∑ “the sum of”
∃ “there exists”
∀ “for every / for any”
∈ “element of / member of”
∉ “not an element of / not a member of” ⊆ “subset of”
⇒ “if ..., then”
⇔ “if and only if”
R “set of real numbers”
N “set of natural numbers”
Z “set of integers”
Q “set of rational numbers”
∞ “infinity”

Mathematical Language

 can describe a subset of the real world using only these symbols. e.g., In
Physics - Free falling bodies, speed, and acceleration; In Biology - modeling
diseases.
 It describes abstract structures. e.g., Pure Mathematics - Abstract Algebra,
Linear Algebra, Real Analysis, and Complex Analysis.

Therefore, Mathematics is the language of the sciences, business, economics, music,

architecture, arts, and politics.
There is an intimate connection between the language of Mathematics and the English
language.
 

In English Language In Mathematical Language

When you think about something:

1. First ask what this something 1. You usually look for a definition of the mathematical word
is. or concept.

2. Relate it with what you 2. You apply this based on the meanings attributed to it by
already know and classify it. identifying valid applications or operations of the concept.
3. Think about the rules that
3. You grasp the rules that govern its defined application.
govern such things.

 
Different languages are the same because they communicate ideas through symbols.
However, a Chinese word may mean differently in the English or Greek language
resulting in confusion.
But, Mathematics tries to avoid this confusion by adopting a universally understood
symbolic system for its language.
Hence, the language of Mathematics can be considered as a common language of the
world.
 
Expressions vs. Sentences
English Language
- Sentence - contains a complete thought. It contains a subject that is a noun or a
clause, and a predicate.
Mathematical Language
- Sentence - must state a complete thought. Expression - mathematical object of
interest.
 
Objects that we use in Mathematics

 Numbers → operations and properties

 Variables → free and bound
 Operations → unary and binary
 Sets → relationships, operations, and properties
 Functions → injective, subjective, bijective

 
Mathematical Expression
An expression in Mathematics is an object of interest. This includes a correct
arrangement of mathematical symbols used to represent a mathematical object. It does
not make sense if to ask if an expression is true or false. And a common type of
problem involving expressions are in simplifying, which means fewer symbols, fewer
operations, better suited for current use, and preferred style or format of terms.
 
Expressions have lots of different names:
An ordered pair (1,2)
A function 𝑓(𝑥)
A set {1,2,3,4,5}
 
Truth of Sentences
A Mathematical sentence must state a complete thought. And it may be either true,
false, and sometimes true / sometimes false. But never both.
 
Use of Numbers
Cardinal Numbers - used for counting. “How many?”
Ordinal Numbers - tells the position of a thing in the list. “First, second, third, ...”
Nominal Numbers - used only as a name for identification. “Zip Code of Bacolod
City: 6100”

Unary and Binary Operations

Unary Operation
Unary operations accept only one operand. They accept only one value when they do
arithmetic. The plus (+) and minus (-) sign, when attached before a single number are
read as positive and negative signs. They are called unary operations.
Consider the expression: +4 (read as “positive four”) This does NOT mean “add four”.
The value of 4 is considered as a single operand by the unary operator, +, and that
operation produces a value of positive 4. Note that there is an invisible positive sign that
exists before any number. Hence, +4 and 4 represent the same value.
The negative (or opposite) sign is also a unary operator. Consider the expression: −4.
The negative sign operator accepts a value of four as its operand and produces a value
of negative four. There is no invisible negative signs in math expressions.
Hence, −4 and 4 represent different values.
In summary, unary operations involve only one value. More examples of unary
operations:

 Negation: −5
 Trigonometric functions: 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑥, 𝑐𝑜𝑠45, 𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝜋3
  Single-variable function: 𝑓(𝑥)
 Factorial: 8!
 Transpose of a matrix: 𝐴𝑇
 Square roots: 18

 
Binary Operations
An operation is binary if it takes two real numbers as arguments to produce another real
number. If the + and - signs act on two operands, then it is called a binary operation.
Among the binary
operators, the + and - signs require more attention than all other binary operations.
Recall the concept of double negative which is equivalent to two negatives make a
positive.
Consider the expression: 3 − (−2). Take note that the negative sign operator has
precedence over the subtraction operator, so it accepts operands first.
We write: 5 = 3 − (−2). This is also equal to 5 = 3 + 2. Hence, 3 + 2 = 3 − (−2). We
differentiate the binary operation with the unary operator by writing the unary operators
at the top of the operands.
 
Properties of Binary operations
1. Closure of Binary Operations - The product and the sum of any two real numbers is
also a real number.
∀𝑥, 𝑦 ∈ R, 𝑥 + 𝑦 ∈ R
∀𝑥, 𝑦 ∈ R, 𝑥 ⋅ 𝑦 ∈ R
2. Commutativity of Binary Operation - Addition and multiplication of any two real
numbers is commutative, that is in mathematical symbols these are written, 
Multiplication:      ∀𝑥, 𝑦 ∈ R, 𝑥 + 𝑦 = 𝑦 + 𝑥
Addition:      ∀𝑥, 𝑦 ∈ R, 𝑥 ⋅ 𝑦 = 𝑦 ⋅ 𝑥
 For example,
1+2=1+1  (addition) and
  2×3=3×2  (multiplication)
3. Associativity of Binary Operations - If a binary operation is associative, the order
in which we evaluate expressions that only involve that one binary operation does not
matter.      
Addition:      ∀𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧 ∈ R, (𝑥 + 𝑦) + 𝑧 = 𝑥 + (𝑦 + 𝑧)
 Multiplication:      ∀𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧 ∈ R, (𝑥 ⋅ 𝑦) ⋅ 𝑧 = 𝑥 ⋅ (𝑦 ⋅ 𝑧)

4. Distributivity of Binary Operation - Let SS be a non-empty set. Let ⋆ and # be two

different binary operations on SS. Then ⋆ is said to be distributive over # on S if   
a ⋆ ( b # c ) = ( a ⋆ b ) # ( a ⋆ c ),       ∀ a, b, c, ∈ S 
Distributivity of multiplication over addition
∀𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧 ∈ R, 𝑧(𝑥 ± 𝑦) = 𝑧𝑥 ± 𝑧𝑦
5. Identity Elements of Binary Operations - A non-empty set S with binary
operation ⋆, is said to have an identity  e ∈ S , if  e ⋆ a = a ⋆ e = a, ∀ a ∈ S.
Addition:      ∀𝑥 ∈ R, 𝑥 + 𝑒 = 𝑒 + 𝑥 = 𝑥
Multiplication:     ∀𝑥 ∈ R, 𝑥  𝑒 = 𝑒  𝑥 = 𝑥
 
6. Inverses of Binary Operations - Now what do you add to any real number 𝑧 to get
the identity element  𝑒 = 0 as a result? The answer is the negative of that number, − 𝑥 .
In symbols, we state it as 
Additive Inverse:     ∀𝑥 ∈ R, 𝑥 + (−𝑥) = −𝑥 + 𝑥 =0
 
 
Quantifiers
Quantifiers are used to describe the variable(s) in a statement.
Types:
Universal Quantifiers ∀ “for all” or “for every”
Existential Quantifiers ∃ “there exists” or “for some”
 
Compound Quantifiers
When more than one quantifier for a certain statement.

 Order does not matter if we are using the same quantifier. i.e., ∀𝑥, ∀𝑦, 𝑃(𝑥,
𝑦) = ∀𝑦∀𝑥, 𝑃(𝑥. 𝑦)
 Order is definitely important for mixed quantifiers. i.e., ∀𝑥∃𝑦, 𝑃(𝑥, 𝑦) ≠
∃𝑦∀𝑥, 𝑃(𝑥, 𝑦)