THE LANGUAGE OF MATHEMATICS

INTRODUCTION:
Comprehending a message is a better understood once a person understand how things
are said and may know why it is said. The use of language in mathematics is far from ordinary
speech. It can be learned but needs a lot of efforts like learning a new dialect or language. The
following are the characteristics of the language of mathematics: precise, concise, and
powerful.

Objectives:
1. Classify the characteristics of mathematical language.
2. Differentiate expressions from sentences.
3. Identify conventions in the mathematical language.
4. Define sets and relations.
5. Perform operations on mathematical expressions correctly.

Expressions versus Sentences

You learned in your English subject that expressions do not state a complete thought,
but sentences do. Mathematical sentences state complete thought. On the other hand,
mathematical expressions do not. You cannot test if it is true or false.

Mathematical Expression Mathematical Sentence

26.14 -11 + 7 = 4
5+2 1 – 4 = -3
X+ 2 1  x=x

Conventions in the Mathematical Language

The common symbol used for multiplication is x but it can be mistakenly taken as the
variable x. There are instances when the centered dot (  ) is a shorthand to be used for
multiplication especially when variables are involved. If there will be no confusion, the symbol
may be dropped.
Example:
8  y = 8y
a  b  c = abc
t  s  9 = 9st

It is conventional to write the number first before the letters. If in case the letters are
more than one, you have to arrange the letters alphabetically.
Sets are usually represented by uppercase letters like S. the symbols  and  represent
the set of real numbers and the set of natural numbers, respectively. A lowercase letter near
the end of the alphabet like x, y, or z represent an element of the set of real numbers. A
lowercase letter near the middle of the alphabet particularly from i to n may represent an
element of the set of integers.

Sets, Function, Relations, and Binary Operations

Sets
A set is a collection of any object or entities. The elements or members of the set are
enclosed within braces. If the members or elements in a set can be enumerated, then the set is
called finite set. Otherwise , infinite set . A set that has no members is called the empty set
which is denoted by { } or  .

List method is a way of describing the set in which the members are separated by
commas and enclosed in braces.
Example: S = { 1, 2, 3}. The set has 3 elements which is 1, 2, 3.

Symbol Read as
 “is in “l” is an element of “l” is a member of”
 “ is not in”l” is not an element of “l” is not a member of”

Example:
Given: S = { 1, 2, 3}
Subset of S are:
S1 = { 1 } S4 = { 1, 2 } S7 = { 1, 2, 3 }
S2 = { 2 } S5 = { 1, 3 } S = { } or 
8
S3 = { 3 } S6 = { 2, 3 }

Note: subsets 1 to 6 are proper subsets, while subset 7 & 8 are improper subset.

From the given above, we can say;

S1 S , since element of S1 is in S and S has more elements belonging to S1.

1, 2 S, since 1,2 are elements in S but not subset because they are not enclosed within
braces.

Let A and B be sets.

We say that A is a subset of B, denoted by A  B if every element of A is an element of
B.
If A and B have the same elements we say that A is equal to B, denoted by A = B.
If A is not equal to B, we denote it by A  B.
A is a proper subset of B, denoted by A  B, if A is a subset of B, but A  B.
A null set, denoted by  , is a set with no element.
A set is a subset of itself.
 A null set is a subset of any set.
Operations on Sets
The Universal set U is the set that contains all the elements under consideration. Let A
be a set in U. The complement of A, denoted by A’ is the set that contains the elements in U
but which are not in A.
Example:
U = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}, A = { 2, 4 }, B = { 1, 2, 3 }, C = { 3, 4, 5}
Then: A’ = {1, 3, 5 } , B’ = { 4, 5 } , C’ = { 1, 2 }

The union of A and B, denoted by A U B, is the set composed of the elements in A or in B

or in both A and B.
Example: Find A U B in the above example.
Therefore, A U B = { 1, 2, 3, 4}

The intersection of A and B, denoted by A  B, is the set composed of elements found

in both A and B.
If A  B =  then A and B are disjoint sets.
Example: A = { 1, 2 }, B = { 3, 4 }, then A  B =  , since there is no common element.

Rule method describing the elements of the set is called the rule method. The symbol “/” is
used and is read as “ such that”.
Example:
A = {x/x is a counting number less than 6}
B = { x/x are days of the week}

Below is a summary of the symbols used in sets and their meanings:

 “ is an element of “
 “ not an element of”
{ } or  empty set or null set
 is a subset of
= is equal to
 not equal to
 is a proper subset of
U union
 intersection

Functions and Relations

A relation is any set of ordered pair, while a function is a relation but no two ordered
pair have the same first element.

Example:
1. {(0, 3), (1, 5), (2, 7)}. Function
2. {(4, 5), (4, 6), (2, 5), ( 3, 6)}. Relation
 3. {(W, -2), ( O, -1 ), (R, 0), ( L, 1 ), (D, 2 )}. Function

Binary Operations
A unary operation is for a single number and assigns another number to it. Addition (+),
subtraction( - ), multiplication (x), and division (  ) are example of binary operations. The word
“binary” means composition of two pieces. A binary operation refers to joining two values to
create a new one.

Properties of Addition and Multiplication, as binary operations on the set of real numbers.
1. Closure Property
Addition: the sum of two real numbers is also a real number.
Example: 12 + 34 = 46

Multiplication: The product of two real numbers is also a real number.

Example: 7 x 20 = 140

2. Commutative Property
Addition: For any two real numbers x and y, x + y = y + x.
Example: 2 + 3 = 3 + 2
5 = 5

Multiplication: The product of any two real numbers is also a real number.
Example: 8 x 5 = 5 x 8
40 = 40

3. Associative Property
Addition: For any two real numbers x, y and z, x + ( y + z ) = ( x + y ) + z.
Example: 3 + ( 10 + 9 ) = ( 3 + 10 ) + 9
3 + 19 = 13 + 9
22 = 22
Multiplication: For any two real numbers x, y and z, x  ( y  z).
Example: 3  ( 9  6 ) = ( 3  9 )  6
3  ( 54 ) = ( 27 )  6
162 = 162

4. Identity Property
Addition: For any real number x, x + 0 = x. The number “0” is called the additive
identity.
Example: 78 + 0 = 78

Multiplication: For any real number x, x  1= x. The number “1” is called the
multiplicative identity.
Example: 98  1 = 98
 Using the identity property, we may write an equivalent expression of a
mathematical expression by substituting an expression that is equal to the additive
identity or multiplicative identity.

5. Distributive Property of Multiplication Over Addition

For any two real numbers x, y and z, x(y + z) = xy + xz.
Example: a(-x + y – z) = -ax + ay – az

6. Inverses of Binary Operations

Addition: For any real number x, x + (-x) = 0.
Example: 100 + (-100) = 0

1
Multiplication: For any real number x, x  x = 1.
1
Example: 98  98 = 1