MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE AND
SYMBOL: VARIABLES
Variables
• A variable is a symbol (often a
letter) that is used to represent a
member of a specified set. This ‘specified
set’ is referred to by mathematicians as
the universal set. Thus, the universal
set gives the objects (often numbers)
that we are allowed to draw on for
a particular variable
Advantage of Using Variables
• It allows you to give temporary
name to what you are seeking so
that you can perform
concrete computations with it to
help discover its possible values.
Example
• Is there a number with the following property:
➢ Doubling it and adding 3 gives the same result as
squaring it?
"Is there a number x with the property
that 2𝑥 + 3 = 𝑥 2 ”
Is there a number with the property that 2 +3 = 2
Example (cont.)
2
Is there a number with the property that 2 +3 =
• To illustrate the second use of variables, consider
the statement:
No matter what number might be chosen, if it is
greater than 2, then its square is greater than 4.
Example (cont.)
• Introducing a variable to give temporary name to the
(arbitrary) number you might choose enables you to
maintain the generality of the statement.
"Is there a number x with the property that 2𝑥 + 3 = 𝑥 2 ”
No matter what number might e chosen, if x is greater
than 2, then 𝑥 2 is greater than 4.
Writing sentences using Variables
• Use variables to rewrite the following sentences
more formally.
a)Are there numbers with the property that the sum
of their squares equals the square of their sum?
b)Give any real number, its square is nonnegative
Writing sentences using Variables
a. Are there numbers with the property that the sum of their
squares equals the square of their sum?
Solution:
• Are there numbers a and b such that 𝑎2 + 𝑏2 = (𝑎 + 𝑏)2 ?
• Are there numbers 𝑎 and 𝑏 such that 𝑎2 + 𝑏2 = (𝑎 + 𝑏)2 ?
• Do there exist any numbers 𝑎 and 𝑏 such that 𝑎2 + 𝑏2 =
(𝑎 + 𝑏)2 ?
Writing sentences using Variables
b. Give any real number, its square is nonnegative
• Given any real number, 𝑟, 𝑟 2 is nonnegative
• For any real number 𝑟, 𝑟 2 ≥ 0
• For all real numbers 𝑟, 𝑟 2 ≥ 0
Conventions in
mathematics, some
commonly used
symbols, its meaning
and an example
Translating words into
symbol
• It is easy for a problem solver if we are able to translate verbal phrases to mathematical
expressions.
• Examples:
• Let x be a number. Translate each phrase or sentence into mathematical expression or
equation.
• Twelve more than a number.
• Eight minus a number
• An unknown quantity less 14.
• Six times a number is fifty-four.
• Two ninths of a number is eleven.
• Three more than seven times a number is nine more than five times a number.
Some Important Kinds of
Mathematical Statements
• Universal statement
– says that a certain property is true
for all elements in the set. “For all”
• Example: All positive numbers are
greater than zero
Some Important Kinds of
Mathematical Statements
• Conditional statement
– says that if one thing is true then
some other things also has to be true.
➢(Example: if 378 is divisible by 18, then
378 is divisible by 6.)
Some Important Kinds of
Mathematical Statements
• Existential statement
– says that there is at least one thing for
which the property is true.
➢(example: There is a prime number that is
even.)
Universal Conditional
Statements
• Is a statement that is both universal and conditional.
Example: For all mammals 𝑎, if 𝑎 is a dog, then 𝑎 is a mammal.
• It can be rewritten in many ways that make them appear to be
purely universal or purely conditional.
Example: If 𝑎 is a dog, then 𝑎 is a mammal
or: If an animal is a dog, then the animal is a mammal
Universal Conditional
Statements
• Example:
For all dogs 𝑎, 𝑎 is a mammal
Or: All dogs are mammals
Rewriting a Universal
Conditional Statement
• Fill in the blanks to rewrite the following statement:
For all real number 𝑥, if 𝑥 is nonzero then 𝑥 2 is positive.
1. If a real number is nonzero, then its square _______
2. For all nonzero real numbers x, _______
3. If x _________, then _____________ .
4. The square of any nonzero real numbers is ______ .
5. All nonzero real numbers have ______ .
Check your progress
• Fill in the blanks to rewrite the following statement:
For all real numbers 𝑥, if 𝑥 is greater than 2, then 𝑥 2 is greater than 4.
1. If a real number is greater than 2, then its square is _____ .
2. For all real numbers greater than 2, ________ .
3. If 𝑥 _______, then _______ .
4. The square of any real number greater than 2 is ______ .
5. All real numbers greater than 2 have ______ .
Universal Existential Statements
• A statement that is universal because its first part says that a
certain property is true for all objects of a given type, and it is
existential because its second part asserts the existence of
something.
Example: Every real number has an additive inverse.
• All real numbers have additive inverse
• For all real numbers 𝑟, there is an additive inverse for 𝑟.
• For all real numbers 𝑟, there is a real number 𝑠 such that 𝑠 is an additive
inverse
Rewriting a Universal Existential
Statement
• Fill in the blanks to rewrite the following statement:
Every pot has a lid.
1. All pots ______ .
2. For all pots 𝑃, there is _______ .
3. For all pots 𝑃, there is a lid 𝐿 such that ______ .
Check Your Progress
• Fill in the blanks to rewrite the following statement: All bottles
have cap.
1. Every bottle ______ .
2. For all bottles 𝐵, there ______ .
3. For all bottles 𝐵, there is a cap 𝐶 such that ______ .
Existential Universal Statements
• A statement that is existential because its first
part asserts that a certain object exists and its
universal because its second part says that the
object satisfies a certain property for all things
of a certain kind.
Example: There is a positive integer that is less
than or equal to every positive integer.
Existential Universal Statements
• There is a positive integer that is less than or equal to
every positive integer.
• There is a positive integer 𝑚 that is less than or equal to
every positive integer.
• There is a positive integer 𝑚 such that every positive integer
is greater than or equal to 𝑚
• There is a positive integer 𝑚 with the property that for all
integers 𝑛, 𝑚 ≤ 𝑛
Rewriting an Existential Universal Statement
• Fill in the blanks to rewrite the following statement in three different ways:
There is a person in my class who is at least as old as every person in
my class.
1. Some _____ is at least as old as ______ .
2. There is a person 𝑝 in my class such that 𝑝 is ______ .
3. There is a person 𝑝 in my class with the property that for every person 𝑞in
my class, 𝑝 is _______ .
Check your progress
• Fill in the blanks to rewrite the following in three different
ways:
There is a bird in this flock that is at least as heavy
as every bird in the flock.
1. Some _____ is at least as heavy as _____.
2. There is a bird 𝑏 in this flock such that 𝑏 is ______ .
3. There is a bird 𝑏 in this flock with the property that for
every bird 𝑏 in the flock , 𝑏 is ______ .
