Mathematical Language

and Symbols
 Introduction: Mathematical Language
• Language is a:
• - “ systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or
conventional symbols” (Chen, 2010).
• - code humans use as a form of expressing themselves and
communicating others;
• That is, language is describe in terms of the components:
• * vocabulary of symbols or words
• * grammar consisting of rules on the use of these symbols
• * community of people who use and understand these symbols
• * range of meanings that can be communicated using symbols
• Hence, mathematics is a language.
Elements (Structure and Syntax) of Math as a Language
• To express math ideas with relative ease, the language must
• * precise, brief and powerful
• Note:
• Math language is non temporal (no tenses, i.e. past, present and
future)
• However, math language has also parts of speech:
• * noun (numbers)
• * connectives (operational symbols i.e. +, -, x, )
• * verbs (relational symbols, i.e. =, ≠, ≥ ≤)
• * pronouns ( variables, i.e. start of alphabet a, b, c are constants
while end of the alphabet x, y, z are variables)
 Math Expression vs Math Sentence
• Mathematical Expression
• Refers to objects of interest acting as the subject in the ordinary language.
• Do not state a complete thought
• Example: x + y , 8, 2e – 3
• Mathematical Sentence
• Refers to a sentence with complete thought which can be regarded as true
or false.
• Example: i.) 5 plus 3 is equal to square root of 64
• 5 + 3 = , where “+” is a connective while “=“ is the verb. (True)
• Ii.) 12 divided by 3 is less than 2.
• , where “ –” is the connective while the operator “<“ is the verb.(False)
Basic Concepts of Mathematical Language
• Terminologies and Notations
• Set – a collection of objects which are called elements.
• If a is an element of a set S, we may write
• If a is not an element of a set S, we may write .
• Ways of Representing Elements of the Set:
• 1. Roster Method – listing down all elements
• Examples i.) The set of all positive integers less than 8.
• Set Notation: S = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 }
• ii.) The set of natural numbers greater than 10
• Set Notation: A = { 11, 12, 13, …}
Basic Concepts of Mathematical Language
• Ways of Representing Elements of the Set:
• 2. Rule Method – stating the elements by common properties
• Examples i.) The set of all positive integers less than 8.
• Set Notation: S = { x / x Є I+ and x < 8}
• ii.) The set of natural numbers greater than 10
• Set Notation: A = { x / x Є N and x > 10}
• Exercises:
• 1. Use a roster method to represent the given set.
• i.) The set of integers satisfying x-2 ≤ 5
• Ii.) The set of months of the year ending with the letters “ber”
Set Operation
• Let A and B be two sets. Then the union of A and B, denoted by AUB is a
set whose elements are in A or B or both A and B written as
• AUB = { x\ x ε A or x ε B } read as “ set of all x such that x is in A or x is
in B or x is both A and B”.
• For any two sets A and B, the intersection of A and B, denoted by A∩B is
a set whose elements are both in A and B written as
• A∩B = { x\ x ε A and B } read as “ set of all x such that x is both in A
and B”.
Continuation: Set Operation
• The set complement of a set A, denoted by A’ is a set whose elements
are not in A but in S, written as
• A’ = { x\ x A but x ε S } read as “ set of all x such that x is not in A but in
S”.
• The set difference of sets A minus B, denoted by A – B, is a set whose
elements are in A but not in B, written in
• A – B = { x\ ε A but x B } read as “ set of all x in A but not B”
• Empty Set. a set is empty if it has no element. It is denoted by or { }
• Universal Set. a set that is contains all elements under consideration. It is
denoted by
Example
• Let S = { 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }
• A = { 2, 3, 4 , 5 }
• B = { 1, 2, 5, 8, 9 }
• Determine:
• 1.) AUB
• 2.) B∩A
• 3.) B’
• 4.) A – B
• Solutions:
• 1.) AUB = { 1,2,3,4,5,8,9 }
• 2.) B∩A = { 2,5}
• 3.) B’ = { 0,3,4,6,7 }
• 4.) A – B = { 3,4 }
Basic Concepts of Mathematical Language
• Exercises:
• 1. Use a roster method to represent the given set.
• i.) The set of integers satisfying x-2 ≤ 5
• Ii.) The set of months of the year ending with the letters “ber”
• 2. Use a rule method to represent the given set.
• i.) { 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81}
• Ii.) The set of natural numbers less that 15.
Venn Diagram
• A Venn diagram is an illustration that uses circles to show
the relationships among things or finite set (groups )of
things.
• Circles that overlap have a commonality while circles that do
not overlap do not share those traits.
• Venn diagrams help to visually represent the similarities and
differences between sets
• graphical method of representing categorical propositions
and testing the validity of categorical syllogisms, devised by
the English logician and philosopher John Venn (1834–1923)
Venn Diagram at Work
• Let the Capital Letter for each set:
• S means the set of Soccer players
• T means the set of Tennis players
• V means the set of Volleyball players
• Then
• drew plays Soccer, Tennis and Volleyball
• jade plays Tennis and Volleyball
• alex and hunter play Soccer, but don't play Tennis or Volleyball
• no-one plays only Tennis
Example
• Let the Universal Set U be the Ten Best Friends.
• U = {alex, blair, casey, drew, erin, francis, glen, hunter, ira, jade}

• Determine:
• 1.) U - S
• 2.) S’
 Solution to the Example
• Determine:
• 1.) U - S

• U − S = {blair, erin, francis, glen, ira, jade}

 Solution to the Example
• Determine:
• 2) S’

• S’ = {blair, erin, francis, glen, ira, jade}

• (exactly the same as the U − S example from above)
Propositional Calculus: Mathematical
Logic
• Proposition is a complete declarative sentence that is either
true or false.
• Consider the following statements:
• 1. Manila is the capital of the Philippines.
• 2. Is it time?
• 3. 5 + 5 = 8
• 4. x + 1 = 2
• 1 and 3 are propositions because they are declarative complete
sentence.
• 2 and 4 are NOT proposition because (2) is not declarative and
(4) is neither true or false since no value yet in x.
 Propositional Calculus: Mathematical
Logic
• Symbolic logic is a powerful tool for analysis and communication
in math.
• It represents the natural language with symbols and variables
• Main Parts of symbolic logic:
• 1. Proposition (statement), p
• 2. Connectives
• A propositional connective is an operation that combines two
propositions (statements) to yield a new proposition whose truth
value depends only on the truth of the two original propositions.
• Compound Proposition. Combined propositions using connectives
Connectives, Symbols and Propositional
Logic
Truth Table
 Example 1
• Let p = “ Today is Friday”
• q = “ It is raining today”
• Determine:
• 1. ( p ^ q )
•2 (pᵛq)
• 3. ( p → q)
• 4. ( p ↔ q )
 Solution to Example 1
• Let p = “ Today is Friday” and q = “ It is raining today”
• Determine:
• 1. ( p ^ q ) : “ Today is Friday and it is raining today”
• 2 ( p ᵛ q ) : “ Today is Friday or it is raining today”
• 3. ( p → q): “ Today is Friday, then it is raining today”
• 4. ( p ↔ q ) : Today is Friday if and only if it is raining today”
 Example 2
• Construct a truth table for the compound
proposition/statement:
(p ᵛ q ) ^ ~p
 Tautology, Contradiction and Contingency
• Tautology – a compound proposition/statement that is always
true, regardless of the truth values of the propositions
• Contradiction – is a compound proposition that is always false
• Contingency – is a compound proposition that is neither a
tautology nor a contradiction.
• Illustration:
• Determine whether the following compound propositions is a
tautology, a contradiction or a contingency.
• 1. p ᵛ ~ p
• 2. p ^ ~ p
 Solution to illustration
• Determine whether the following compound propositions is a
tautology, a contradiction or a contingency.
• 1. p ᵛ ~ p
• 2. p ^ ~ p
• Solution

• Hence, p ᵛ ~ p is a tautology and

• p ^ ~ p is a contradiction
Logical Equivalence
• Two mathematical propositions/statements p and q are logically
equivalent if p ↔ q is a tautology, i.e.
• If the final output of their truth tables are exactly alike
• Example. Verify/show that ~ (p ᵛ q ) and (~ p ^ ~ q) are logically
equivalent.
• Solution:

• Hence,
• ~ (p ᵛ q ) and (~ p ^ ~ q) are logically equivalent.
 Converse, Inverse and Contrapositive
• If the conditional proposition/statement is given by
• p (antecedent) → q (consequent )
• Then, the three statements/propositions are related:
• 1. Converse : q→p
• 2. Inverse : ~ p →~ q
• 3. Contrapositive: ~ q →~ p
• Note: If the contrapositive is true, the original proposition is also
true
• Example
• “Every rectangle is a parallelogram”
• Determine if it is true or not true.
 Solution to example
• Example: “Every rectangle is a parallelogram”
• The antecedent p: Every rectangle
• Consequence q : is a parallelogram
• p → q : If it is a rectangle, then it is a parallelogram
• 1. Converse : q→p
• If it is a parallelogram, then it is a rectangle
• 2. Inverse : ~ p →~ q
• If it is not a rectangle, then it is not a parallelogram
• 3. Contrapositive: ~ q →~ p
• If it is not a parallelogram, then it is not a rectangle