Basic math symbols

Symbo
Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example
l

5 = 2+3
= equals sign equality
5 is equal to 2+3

5≠4
≠ not equal sign inequality
5 is not equal to 4

sin(0.01) ≈ 0.01,
≈ approximately equal approximation
x ≈ y means x is approximately equal to y

5>4
> strict inequality greater than
5 is greater than 4

4<5
< strict inequality less than
4 is less than 5

5 ≥ 4,
≥ inequality greater than or equal to
x ≥ y means x is greater than or equal to y

4 ≤ 5,
≤ inequality less than or equal to
x ≤ y means x is less than or equal to y

() parentheses calculate expression inside first 2 × (3+5) = 16

[] brackets calculate expression inside first [(1+2)×(1+5)] = 18

Symbo
Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example
l

+ plus sign addition 1+1=2

− minus sign subtraction 2−1=1

± plus - minus both plus and minus operations 3 ± 5 = 8 and -2

± minus - plus both minus and plus operations 3 ∓ 5 = -2 and 8

* asterisk multiplication 2*3=6

× times sign multiplication 2×3=6

⋅ multiplication dot multiplication 2⋅3=6

÷ division sign / obelus division 6÷2=3

/ division slash division 6/2=3

— horizontal line division / fraction

mod modulo remainder calculation 7 mod 2 = 1

. period decimal point, decimal separator 2.56 = 2+56/100

ab power exponent 23 = 8

Symbo
Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example
l

a^b caret exponent 2 ^ 3  = 8

√a square root √a  ⋅ √a  = a √9 = ±3

√a
3 cube root 3
√a  ⋅  3√a   ⋅  3√a   = a √8 = 2
3

√a
4 fourth root √a  ⋅  4√a   ⋅  4√a   ⋅  4√a = a
4
√16 = ±2
4

n
√a n-th root (radical)   for n=3, n√8 = 2

% percent 1% = 1/100 10% × 30 = 3

Geometry symbols
Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

∠ angle formed by two rays ∠ABC = 30°

measured angle   ABC = 30°

∟ right angle = 90° α = 90°

° degree 1 turn = 360° α = 60°

deg degree 1 turn = 360deg α = 60deg

Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

′ prime arcminute, 1° = 60′ α = 60°59′

″ double prime arcsecond, 1′ = 60″ α = 60°59′59″

line infinite line  

AB line segment line from point A to point B  

ray line that start from point A  

arc arc from point A to point B  = 60°

⊥ perpendicular perpendicular lines (90° angle) AC ⊥ BC

|| parallel parallel lines AB | | CD

≅ congruent to equivalence of geometric shapes and size ∆ABC≅ ∆XYZ

~ similarity same shapes, not same size ∆ABC~ ∆XYZ

Δ triangle triangle shape ΔABC≅ ΔBCD

|x-
distance distance between points x and y | x-y | = 5
y|
pi constant π = 3.141592654... c = π⋅d = 2⋅π⋅r
π
Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

is the ratio between the circumference and diameter of a

circle

rad radians radians angle unit 360° = 2π rad

c
radians radians angle unit 360° = 2π c

Algebra symbols
Symbo
Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example
l

≡ equivalence identical to  
~ approximately equal weak approximation 11 ~ 10

≈ approximately equal approximation sin(0.01) ≈ 0.01

∝ proportional to proportional to y ∝ x when y = kx, kconstant

∞ lemniscate infinity symbol  

≪ much less than much less than 1 ≪ 1000000

≫ much greater than much greater than 1000000 ≫ 1

() parentheses calculate expression inside first 2 * (3+5) = 16

Symbo
Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example
l

[] brackets calculate expression inside first [(1+2)*(1+5)] = 18

{} braces set  

x! exclamation mark factorial 4! = 1*2*3*4 = 24

f  (x) function of x maps values of x to f(x) f  (x) = 3x+5

(f ∘ g) function composition (f ∘ g) (x) = f  (g(x)) f  (x)=3x,g(x)=x-1 ⇒(f ∘ g)(x)=3(x-1)

(a,b) open interval (a,b) = {x | a < x < b} x∈ (2,6)

[a,b] closed interval [a,b] = {x | a ≤ x ≤ b} x ∈ [2,6]

summation - sum of all values in range of

∑ sigma
series
∑  xi= x1+x2+...+xn

∑∑ sigma double summation

e e constant / Euler's number e = 2.718281828... e = lim (1+1/x)x , x→∞

γ Euler-Mascheroni constant γ = 0.5772156649...  

Symbo
Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example
l

φ golden ratio golden ratio constant  

π = 3.141592654...
π pi constant
is the ratio between the circumference and
c = π⋅d = 2⋅π⋅r
diameter of a circle

Linear Algebra Symbols

Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

· dot scalar product a  ·  b

[] brackets matrix of numbers  

() parentheses matrix of numbers  

A -1 inverse matrix A A-1 = I  

Probability and statistics symbols

Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

P(A) probability function probability of event A P(A) = 0.5

P(A ∩ B) probability of events intersection probability that of events A and B P(A∩B) = 0.5

P(A ∪ B) probability of events union probability that of events A or B P(A∪B) = 0.5

 Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

P(A | B) conditional probability function probability of event A given event B occured P(A | B) = 0.3

μ population mean mean of population values μ = 10

median middle value of random variable x

summation - sum of all values in range of

∑ summation
series

∑∑ double summation double summation

s  2 sample variance population samples variance estimator s  2 = 4

population samples standard deviation

s sample standard deviation
estimator
s = 2

Combinatorics Symbols
Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

n! factorial n! = 1⋅2⋅3⋅...⋅n 5! = 1⋅2⋅3⋅4⋅5 = 120

P
n k permutation P  = 5! / (5-3)! = 60
5 3

combination C  = 5!/[3!(5-3)!]=10
C
n k 5 3

 
Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

Set theory symbols

Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

A = {3,7,9,14},
{} set a collection of elements
B = {9,14,28}

A∩B intersection objects that belong to set A and set B A ∩ B = {9,14}

A∪B union objects that belong to set A or set B A ∪ B = {3,7,9,14,28}

A⊆B subset A is a subset of B. set A is included in set B. {9,14,28} ⊆ {9,14,28}

proper subset / strict
A⊂B subset
A is a subset of B, but A is not equal to B. {9,14} ⊂ {9,14,28}

A⊄B not subset set A is not a subset of set B {9,66} ⊄ {9,14,28}

A⊇B superset A is a superset of B. set A includes set B {9,14,28} ⊇ {9,14,28}

proper superset / strict
A⊃B superset
A is a superset of B, but B is not equal to A. {9,14,28} ⊃ {9,14}

A⊅B not superset set A is not a superset of set B {9,14,28} ⊅ {9,66}

integer numbers set  = {...-3,-2,-1,0,1,2,3,...} -6 ∈ 

rational numbers set  = {x  | x=a/b, a,b∈ } 2/6 ∈ 

Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

real numbers set  = {x | -∞ <  x <∞} 6.343434∈

complex numbers set  = {z |  z=a+bi, -∞<a<∞,      -∞<b<∞} 6+2i ∈ 

Logic symbols
Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

⋅ and and x ⋅ y

^ caret / circumflex and x ^ y

& ampersand and x & y

+ plus or x + y

∨ reversed caret or x ∨ y

| vertical line or x | y

x bar not - negation x

¬ not not - negation ¬ x

~ tilde negation ~ x

⇒ implies    
 Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

⇔ equivalent if and only if (iff)  

↔ equivalent if and only if (iff)  

∀ for all    

∃ there exists    

∄ there does not exists    

∴ therefore    

∵ because / since    

Calculus & analysis symbols

Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

ε epsilon represents a very small number, near zero ε → 0

e e constant / Euler's number e = 2.718281828... e = lim (1+1/x)x, x→∞

∫ integral opposite to derivation ∫ f(x)dx

∫∫ double integral integration of function of 2 variables ∫∫ f(x,y)dxdy

∫∫∫ triple integral integration of function of 3 variables ∫∫∫ f(x,y,z)dxdydz

 Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

[a,b] closed interval [a,b] = {x  | a ≤ x  ≤  b}  

(a,b) open interval (a,b) = {x  | a < x  <  b}  

i imaginary unit i ≡ √-1 z = 3 + 2i

δ delta function    

∞ lemniscate infinity symbol  

Numeral symbols
Name European Roman Hindu Arabic Hebrew

zero 0   ٠  

one 1 I ١ ‫א‬

two 2 II ٢ ‫ב‬

three 3 III ٣ ‫ג‬

four 4 IV ٤ ‫ד‬

five 5 V ٥ ‫ה‬

six 6 VI ٦ ‫ו‬

seven 7 VII ٧ ‫ז‬

 Name European Roman Hindu Arabic Hebrew

eight 8 VIII ٨ ‫ח‬

nine 9 IX ٩ ‫ט‬

ten 10 X ١٠ ‫י‬

eleven 11 XI ١١ ‫יא‬

twelve 12 XII ١٢ ‫יב‬

thirteen 13 XIII ١٣ ‫יג‬

fourteen 14 XIV ١٤ ‫יד‬

fifteen 15 XV ١٥ ‫טו‬

sixteen 16 XVI ١٦ ‫טז‬

seventeen 17 XVII ١٧ ‫יז‬

eighteen 18 XVIII ١٨ ‫יח‬

nineteen 19 XIX ١٩ ‫יט‬

twenty 20 XX ٢٠ ‫כ‬

thirty 30 XXX ٣٠ ‫ל‬

forty 40 XL ٤٠ ‫מ‬

fifty 50 L ٥٠ ‫נ‬
 Name European Roman Hindu Arabic Hebrew

sixty 60 LX ٦٠ ‫ס‬

seventy 70 LXX ٧٠ ‫ע‬

eighty 80 LXXX ٨٠ ‫פ‬

ninety 90 XC ٩٠ ‫צ‬

one hundred 100 C ١٠٠ ‫ק‬

Greek alphabet letters

Upper Case Lower Case Greek Letter English
Letter Name Pronounce
Letter Letter Name Equivalent

Α α Alpha a al-fa

Β β Beta b be-ta

Γ γ Gamma g ga-ma

Δ δ Delta d del-ta

Ε ε Epsilon e ep-si-lon

Ζ ζ Zeta z ze-ta

Η η Eta h eh-ta
Θ θ Theta th te-ta

Ι ι Iota i io-ta

Κ κ Kappa k ka-pa

Λ λ Lambda l lam-da

Μ μ Mu m m-yoo

Ν ν Nu n noo

Ξ ξ Xi x x-ee

Ο ο Omicron o o-mee-c-ron

Π π Pi p pa-yee

Ρ ρ Rho r row

Σ σ Sigma s sig-ma

Τ τ Tau t ta-oo

Υ υ Upsilon u oo-psi-lon

Φ φ Phi ph f-ee
Χ χ Chi ch kh-ee

Ψ ψ Psi ps p-see

Ω ω Omega o o-me-ga