The Nature of Mathematics

Mathematical Language
and Symbols

Presented by Francis O. Pantino, LPT, Ph.D.

 Learning Outcomes
1. Importance of Language
Presentation 2. The Mathematical Language
Overview a. Characteristics of mathematical language
b. Mathematical expressions
c. Mathematical sentences
3. Translation of English expressions and sentences
4. Elementary logic
a. Logic statements
b. Logic connectives, symbols, and negation
c. Quantifiers
5. Equivalent Statements, and Tautologies
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. explained the nature of mathematics as a
language;
2. discussed the language, symbols and conventions
of Mathematics;
3. performed operations on mathematical
expressions correctly; and
4. acknowledged that mathematics is a useful
language.
Presentation
Overview
 “The laws of nature are
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Overview
written in the language of
mathematics.”

- Galileo Galilei
 • The laws of nature are written in the language of
mathematics…the symbols are triangles, circles, and
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other geometrical figures, without whose help it is
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impossible to comprehend a single word.
• If we take Galileo’s metaphor literally, he is suggesting
that there is a language of mathematics. And it is with
this language that God has written the universe. And
for us to be able to comprehend the laws of nature is
that we have to learn the language of mathematics.
 • A language is a symbolic communication system that is
learned instead of biologically inherited.
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• It is a systematic way of communicating with other people by
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the use of sounds or conventional symbols.
• It is a system of abstract codes which represent antecedent
events and concepts and arranged in ordered sequence to
form words, with rules for combining these words into
sequences or strings that expresses thoughts, intentions,
experiences, and feelings; comprised of morphological,
syntactical, semantic and pragmatic components (Speech and
Language Glossary of Terms).
 • A language is a set (finite or infinite) of sentences, each
finite in length and constructed out of a finite set of
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elements (Noam Chomsky).
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Importance of Language
 To understand the expressed ideas
 To communicate ideas to others

 Mathematics, like any other language, has its own

symbols, syntax, notation, and rules.
 Characteristics of Mathematical Language
 Precise (able to make very fine distinctions or
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Overview
definitions)
 Concise (able to say things briefly)
 Powerful (able to express complex thoughts with
relative ease)
 English Language to Mathematics Language
Noun to mathematical expressions
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Example: x + 5; sin x; log x
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Sentence to mathematical sentence
Example: 2x + y = 6

Expression
A correct arrangement of mathematical symbols used to
represent a mathematical object of interest
 Expressions have lots of different names
 The name we use depends on what we are doing with the
expression, and what it is used for
 The common problem with expression is HOW TO MAKE IT
SIMPLE (SIMPLIFY)
SIMPLER EXPRESSION means
 
Fewer symbols
 Fewer operations
 Better suited for current use (3.25 units vs units)
 Preferred style/format (reduced form or simplest form)
 Every language has its vocabulary (the words) and its rules for
combining these words into complete thought (the sentences)
 Mathematics as a language has also its own words and
sentences.
Mathematical Sentences
 Precise arrangement of symbols to be able to express a complete
thought
 Meaningful if their truthfulness is desired
 Have verbs (equal sign and inequality)
 They may have symbols used to connect (operations or logical
connectives)
Truth of Sentences
 Mathematical sentences may either be TRUE,
FALSE, SOMETIMES TRUE/SOMETIMES FALSE
 Examples:

1. x  2 x  x  x  2 
2

2. x  2  x  3
3. f  2   3
The Grammar of Mathematics
 Structural rules governing the use of symbols representing
mathematical objects

Consider the following statements. Discuss how the

word “is” is used in each statement.
 5 is the principal square root of 25
 5 is less than 10
 5 is a prime number
Difficulties in the mathematical language
 The word “is” could mean equality, inequality, or membership in a
set
 Different use of a number (cardinal, ordinal, nominal)
 Mathematical objects may be represented in many ways such as
sets and functions.
 The words “and” and “or” mean differently in mathematics from its
English use.
Describe the error in each of the following.
 

 where is a function
 or is equivalent to
 Given the function , find the value of
Translate each sentence using mathematical symbols

1.
  0 is an integer.
2. is a multiple of 5.
3. belongs to both sets A and B.
4. The values of x range from -2 to 5.
5. The square of the sum of x and y is not more than 20.
6. The square of a number is nonnegative.
7. The sum of two consecutive numbers is 31.
Some Elementary Logic

 Allows us to determine the validity of arguments in and

out of mathematics

 Illustrates the importance of precision and conciseness of

the language of mathematics
Statement or Proposition
 Must express a complete thought.
 A declarative sentence or statement that is either true
or false, but not both.
 A letter may be used to represent a proposition.

Examples:
R: Rodrigo Duterte is the President of the Republic of
the Philippines.
O: 13 is an odd number.
P: A parallelogram is a quadrilateral.
Determine whether each of the ff. is a proposition.
1. All multiples of seven are odd numbers.
2. Let x be a real number.
3. Sketch the graph of f  x  2.
4. This is a false sentence.
Simple Statement
 a statement that conveys a single idea.
Compound Statement
 a statement that conveys two or more ideas.
Connecting simple statements with words and phrases such as
and, or, if . . . then, and if and only if creates a compound
statement.
Example:
“I will attend the meeting or I will go to school.”
Logic Connectives and Symbols
 Let P and Q be Statements
   
 Read as  Truth Value
Conjunction P and Q True if and only if P and Q are
both true
Disjunction P or Q True if and only if P is true or
Q is true or both are true

P implies Q
Implication If P then Q
True under all circumstances
Q if P except when P is true and Q is
P only if Q
p is sufficient for q
false.
q is necessary for p

Bi-conditional P if and only if Q True if and only if P and Q are

both true or both false

       
Truth Tables for the Basic Connectives
Example 1:
Consider the following simple statements.
p: Today is Friday.
q: It is raining.
r: I am going to a movie.
s: I am not going to the basketball game.
Write the following compound statements in symbolic form.
a. Today is not Friday and I am going to a movie.
b. I am going to the basketball game and I am not going to a
movie.
c. I am going to the movie if and only if it is raining.
d. If today is Friday, then I am not going to a movie.
Example 2:
Using the symbolic representations
p: I am healthy.
q: I eat junk food.
r: I exercise regularly.
express the following compound statements in symbolic form:

a. I am healthy if I exercise regularly.

b. If I eat junk food and do not exercise, then I am not healthy.
Example 3:
Consider the following statements.
e: All men are created equal.
t: I am trading places.
a: I get Abe’s place.
g: I get George’s place.
Use the above information to translate
the dialogue in the speech bubbles
at the right.
Example 4:
Symbolize the statement, using capital letters to abbreviate the simple
statements (stated positively):

If Neil is not a big eater or Len has a big voice, then Lemy likes
violet.
Negation
 Symbol: ¬
 Means “not”
 ¬P is true if and only if P is not true
Example:
What is the negation of the statement:
1. 2 is a rational number?
2. The senator is a Democrat.
3. The senator is not a Democrat.
Quantification

A construct that specifies the quantity of specimens in

the domain of discourse that satisfy an open formula.
Universal
  Quantification
 “For all” or “For every”
 Symbol:
Example:
“for every object in the universe, ”, which is expressed as
“

Existential Quantification
 “There exists” or “For some”
 Symbol:
Example:
“there exists an object   in the universe,  ", which is expressed as " "
 
Write the statement using and as needed or
deemed appropriate.

1. All Students are smart.

2. There exists a student.
3. There exists a smart student.
4. Every student loves some student.
Write as an English sentence and determine if it
is true or false.

1. x   , y  , y  x
2

2. x, y  , x  y  y  x
Negations of statements containing quantifiers

Write a sentence that represents the negation of each

statement:
1. Some senators are Republicans.
2. All senators are Republicans.
3. No senator is a Republican.
Exercise

Exercise Set 2 A

Exercise Set 2 B
More on Conditional Statements
Name Symbolic Form Read As . . .
a (given) conditional p→q If p, then q.
(Implication) P is the antecedent or
hypothesis
Q is the consequent or
conclusion
the converse (of p → q) q→p If q, then p.
the inverse (of p → q) ~p → ~q If not p, then not q.
the contrapositive (of p → q) ~q → ~p If not q, then not p.

Variations of a conditional.
Write the statement in IF-THEN form:
1. The product of two odd integers is an even integer.
2. We can get a dog only if we install a fence around the
backyard.
3. Every odd prime number is greater than 2.
4. The triangle is a 30°-60°-90° triangle, if the length of the
hypotenuse is twice the length of the shorter leg.
5. He can join the band, if he has the talent to play a
keyboard.
Give the converse, inverse, and contrapositive of the
following implications.
1. If you are more than 60 years old, then you are
entitled to a Senior Citizen’s card.
2. If a number is a multiple of 6 then it is a multiple of 2.
3. If a function is differentiable at x = a then it is
continuous at x= a.
4. If I were rich, I would quit this job.
5. If we had a car, then we would be able to take the
class.
 
Equivalent Statements
 Two statements are equivalent if they both have the
same truth value for all possible truth values of their
simple statements.
 Equivalent statements have identical truth values in the
final columns of their truth tables.
 The notation p q is used to indicate that the
statements p and q are equivalent.
 Example: an expression and its double negation are logically
equivalent. In symbols,
Example 1: DETERMINING WHETHER STATEMENTS ARE EQUIVALENT
Are the statements “If I am a homeowner, then I pay property taxes” and “I
am a homeowner, and I do not pay property taxes” equivalent?

Solution:

Define the statements:

p: I am a homeowner.
q: I pay property taxes.
p → q: If I am a homeowner, then I pay property taxes.
p ∧ q: I am a homeowner, and I do not pay property taxes.
Required columns in the truth table
p ∧ q is the negation of p → q (and vice versa). This can be
 

expressed as p ∧ q(p → q).

The negation of a conditional is logically equivalent to the

conjunction of the premise and the negation of the conclusion.
 
Example 2:
Show that (p q) and p q are equivalent statements.
The truth tables above show equivalent statements. These equivalences
are known as De Morgan’s laws for statements.
Example 3: State an Equivalent Form
Use one of De Morgan’s laws to restate the following sentences in an
equivalent form.
1. It is not true that, I graduated or I got a job.
2. It is not true that, I am going to the dance and I am going to the game.
An Equivalent Form of the Conditional

The Negation of the Conditional

The Biconditional
 
Tautologies and Self-Contradictions
A tautology is a statement that is always true. A self-
contradiction is a statement that is always false.

Example 1: Show that p (pq) is a tautology.

Example 2: Show that p (p q) is a self-contradiction.

Example 3: Is the statement x 2 5 a tautology or a self-

contradiction?