Language of

Mathematics
ELEMENTS

SYMBOLS OF MATHS

ENGLISH LANGUAGE VS MATHEMATICS LANGUAGE

 Solve this:
• Ana est deux fois plus âgée que son frère et la somme de
leurs âges est de 36 ans. Quel âge ont-ils?

The ideas presented may be simple, but we don’t have access into it without a
knowledge of the language in which the ideas are expressed.

People have trouble understanding mathematical ideas not necessarily because

the ideas are difficult but because they are being presented in a foreign language
– the language of Mathematics
Why do we need to know the
language of Maths?
• To be able to understand the idea/concepts of Maths.
• To figure out clearly the logic of maths
Characteristics of the Language of
Mathematics
• Precise
• Concise
• Powerful
 Elements of the Language of
mathematics
• Nouns
• Pronouns • Synonyms
• Verbs • Negations
• Sentences • Sentence Structure
• Vocabulary • Paragraph Structure
• Grammar • Conventions
• Syntax • Abbreviations
Mathematics is a symbolic
language
Comparison: English vs Maths Languages
ENGLISH MATHEMATICS

SYMBOLS English Alphabet and English Alphabet,

punctuation Numerals, Greek Letters,
Grouping Symbols,
Special Symbols

Name Noun Expressions

Pronoun Variable
Complete though Sentence Sentence
Action Verbs Operations and other
actions(e.g. simplify,
rationalize
What’s is in a sentence Verbs Equality, inequality,
membership in a set
Attribute of a sentence Fact or fiction True or false
Synonyms Different words but the The same object but
same meaning different names
Comparison: English vs Maths Languages
Comparison: English vs Maths Languages
Comparison: English vs Maths
Languages

• Some Difficulties in the Math Language

1. Different meaning/use of words in Math and English
“and” is equivalent to plus
“is” may be represented using symbols.
 Comparison: English vs Maths Languages
• Some Difficulties in the Math Language
2. The different uses of numbers : to express quantity (cardinal) , to
indicate order (ordinal), or as a label (nominal).

3. Mathematical objects may be expressed in many ways.

For example: sets and functions
Verifying truth of sentences

Identify which of the following statements is/are true,

false, sometimes true and sometimes false.

1. The word ‘cat’ begins with the letter k.

Answer : FALSE
Verifying truth of sentences
2. 1+2=4

ANSWER : FALSE
Verifying truth of sentences
3. The cat is black.

Answer : true or false

Verifying truth of sentences
4. X–1=0

Answer : SOMETIMES TRUE/SOMETIMES FALSE

ACTIVITY 01
Grammatical Errors in Mathematics
Language
Analyze each statement below then identify which of
them are grammatically correct and if not find the
error.

1. 5N
2. (1,2)  f where f is a function
3. X > 2 or x > 1 is equivalent to 2<x<1
4. 2  Real nos.
SYMBOLS/OPERATIONS BASIC ENGLISH TERMS

Equals, is equal to(most common

= mistake, “is equals to”), represents, is
the same as, is, are and the conjugations
of the verb “to be”, is similar to, is
equivalent to, exactly, results in.

Plus, sum, total, added to, added with,

+ added by, augmented, raised, more,
more than, and, increased, put together.

Minus, difference, subtracted from,

- subtracted by, diminish, less, less than,
decreased, separated.
SYMBOLS/OPERATI
BASIC ENGLISH TERMS
ONS

× Or ( ) Times, product, multiplied by,

multiplied with, multiplied to,
doubled, tripled (etc), twice,
thrice (etc).

/, ÷ Divided by, quotient, per,

ratio, halved, over, over all
English Translations to Algebraic Statements:

1) The difference of eight and three is five.

2) Three increased by four is seven.

3) The product of seven and two is fourteen.

4) The sum of six and two all over four is two.

5) Twelve added by one is thirteen.

ACTIVITY 02
English Translations to Algebraic Statements:

1) The difference of twelve and two is ten.

2) The sum of six and four, diminished by seven is
equal to three.
3) The quotient of twenty-one and, five less two is
seven.
4) The ratio of the sum of nine and five, and seven
is two.
5) Twice the difference of ten and eight is four.
English Translations to Algebraic
statements

1.Twice a number is equal to

fourteen
English Translations to Algebraic
statements

2. Thrice the difference of twice a

number and one is four
English Translations to Algebraic
statements

3. Theratio of twice the sum of a

number and one, and three is
equal to five.
English Translations to
Algebraic statements

4. The sum of a number and

four is twelve
English Translations to Algebraic statements

5. The ratio of a number and 2,

diminished by 5 is thirteen
English Translations to
Algebraic statements

6. Thrice a number less six is

twice the number.
7. Sixty percent of a number is
fifteen.
8. one-fourth of a number less
two is five.
English Translations to Algebraic
statements

9. The square of a number added to its

reciprocal.
English Translations to Algebraic
statements

10. The square of the sum of

five and a number
ACTIVITY 03:
Convert the following English sentences to
mathematical statements.

1. The difference of eight and three is five

2. The sum of six and four, diminished by seven is
equal to three
3. The quotient of twenty-one and, five less two is
seven
4. The ratio of the sum of nine and five, and seven is
two
5. One thousand less 12 percent of it is eight hundred
eighty
6. Twice the difference of ten and eight is four
7. The ratio of twenty-seven and nine is equal
to the thirty percent of ten
8. The quotient of “fifteen and five” and
“twelve and four” is one
9. One hundred divided by twenty-five percent
of forty is ten
10. Seventy-eight percent of one thousand less
six hundred is equal to one hundred eighty.
Elementary logic
Logic allows us to determine the validity of arguments in and
out of mathematics.

Proposition = is a declarative statements is logic that may

expressed an idea which can be true or false but not both.
= expressed by the symbols P, Q, R or p, q, r

Types of Propositions
1. Simple – means single idea statement
2. Compounds – conveys two or more ideas.
The truth table

• It is a table that show the truth value of a compound

statement for all possible truth values of its simple
statements.

P Q PQ

F F F

F T F

T T T
Logic Connectives and Symbols

Statements Connectives Symbolic Form Type of Statements

Not P Not P Negation

P and Q And PQ Conjunction

P or Q Or PQ Disjunction

If P, then q If…. Then P→ Q Conditional

P if and only if q If and only if PQ Biconditional

Quantifier
= are used to describe the variable(s) in a statement.
Types:
1. Universal Quantifier “ for all” or “for every” ,
denoted by ∀
2. Existential Quantifier “ there exists” denoted by 
Converse, Inverse and
contrapositive of a conditional
• The Converse of p→q is q → q
• The Inverse of p→q is p → q
• The Contrapositive of p → q is q → p
 Examples of logic
A. Write the following in symbolic form using P, Q, R
statements and the symbol ,→,,, where

P : The sun is shining. Q : It is raining. R : The ground is wet.

1. If it is raining, then the sun is not shining. Answer : Q →P

2. It is raining, and the ground is wet. Answer : Q  R

3. The ground is wet if and only if it is Answer: R  (Q  P)

raining and the sun is shining.
Examples of logic
B. Write the converse, inverse, and contrapositive of
the conditional statement Q → R.

Q : It is raining.
R : The ground is wet.
Examples of Logic
C. Write the statement using ∀ and  as needed.
1. Everyone in the room is a registered student .
2. Not all men are mortal.

Answer:
1. ∀ person x in the room, x is registered student.
2.  men x such that x is immortal.
Practice Activity:
Examples of logic
Write the following in symbolic form using P, Q, R statements and
the symbol ,→,,, where
P : Pres. Luna is a good president.
Q : Government officials are corrupt.
R : People are happy.

a. If government officials are not corrupt, then the people are

happy.
b. If Pres. Luna is a good president, then the government officials
are not corrupt.
c. If Pres. Luna is a good president and people are happy, then the
government officials are not corrupt.
d. Pres. Luna is not a good president if and only if government
officials are not corrupt and the people are not happy.
Practice Activity:
Examples of logic
1. Write the converse, inverse, and contrapositive of the conditional
statement P → Q.
P : Pres. Luna is a good president.
Q : Government officials are corrupt.

2. Write the converse, inverse, and contrapositive of the

conditional statement:

a. If this movie is interesting, then I am watching it.

b. If p is ap prime number, then it is odd.

Practice Activity:
Examples of logic
C. Write the statement using ∀ and  as
needed.
1. Every person who lives in Walla Walla lives in
Washington.
2. Everyone likes pizza.
3. Someone likes pizza.
 General Instruction:

ASSIGNMENT: 1) Submit your answers written in 1 WHOLE yellow pad paper.

2) Write your complete name on the uppermost part of the paper started with your
FAMILY NAME, FIRST NAME then MIDDLE INITIAL (e.g. Lozano, Marilyn A.)
3) Show the solution if necessary.

PART 1: English Translations to Algebraic Statements: PART 3: Write the following in symbolic
1) The difference of twelve and two is ten.
form using P, Q, R statements and the
2) The sum of six and four, diminished by seven is
symbol ,→,,, where
equal to three.
3) The quotient of twenty-one and, five less two is P : Pres. Luna is a good president.
seven.
4) The ratio of the sum of nine and five, and seven is Q : Government officials are
two. corrupt.
5) Twice the difference of ten and eight is four.
R : People are happy.
PART 2: Convert the following English sentences to
a. If government officials are not corrupt,
mathematical statements.
then the people are happy.
b. If Pres. Luna is a good president, then
1. The difference of eight and three is five the government officials are not
2. The sum of six and four, diminished by seven is corrupt.
equal to three c. If Pres. Luna is a good president and
3. The quotient of twenty-one and, five less two is people are happy, then the government
seven officials are not corrupt.
4. The ratio of the sum of nine and five, and seven is d. Pres. Luna is not a good president if
two and only if government officials are not
5. One thousand less 12 percent of it is eight hundred corrupt and the people are not happy.
eighty