CHAPTER 2

MATHEMATICAL
LANGUAGE AND
SYMBOLS
 Learning Objective
At the end of this chapter, you are expected to:

• Discuss the language, symbols, and conventions of

mathematics
• Explain the nature of mathematics as a language
• perform operations on mathematical expressions
correctly, its basic concepts and logic; and
• appreciate that mathematics is a useful language
 The language of mathematics is the
system used by mathematicians to
communicate mathematical ideas among
themselves.
 Mathematics as a language has symbols to
express a formula or to represent a constant. It
has a syntax to make the expression well-
informed to make the character and symbols
clear and valid that do not violate the rules.
The language of mathematics makes it easy to express the kinds
of symbols, syntax, and rules that mathematician like to do and
characterized by the following:
A. Precise (able to make very fine distinction)

Example: The use of mathematical symbol is only done based on meaning and purpose. +
means add, - means subtract, x multiply, divide

B. Concise (able to say things briefly)

Example: The long English sentence can be shortened using mathematical symbols. Eight
plus two equals ten which means 8 + 2 = 10.

C. Powerful (able to express complex thoughts with relative ease)

Example: The application of critical thinking and problem solving skill requires the
comprehension, analysis, and reasoning to obtain the correct solution .
 Writing Mathematical Language as an
Expression or a Sentence
Mathematical Expression
a finite combination of symbols that is well-formed according
to rules that depend on the context
a correct arrangement of mathematical symbols used to
represent a mathematical object of interest.

An expression does not state a complete thought.

Example:
5 2+3 10/2 (6-2)+1 1+1+1+1+1
 Examples:
The use of expressions ranges form the simple:

𝟖 𝒙 −𝟓 Linear Polynomial
𝟐
𝟕 𝒙 +𝟒 𝒙 − 𝟏𝟎 Quadratic Polynomial

𝒙
𝒙 − 𝟐
𝟐
+ 𝟏𝟐
Rational Fraction

To the complex: 𝟏
𝟐 𝝅
𝟐

∫
𝝅
𝒅 𝜽
𝒂 + 𝒃 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝜽
𝟎
Writing Mathematical Language as an
Expression or a Sentence
Mathematical Sentence
Is an analogue of English sentence.
is a correct arrangement of mathematical symbols that states a
complete thought.
Sentence have verbs. In the mathematical sentence "3+4=7", the verb
is "="
A sentence can be (always) true,
(always) false, or sometimes false.
 Mathematical Convention
A mathematical convention is a fact, name, notation, or
usage which is generally agreed upon by mathematicians.

Mathematicians abide by conventions in order to allow

other mathematicians understand what they write without
constantly having redefine basic terms.
The following symbols are commonly used in the order of
operations:

SYMBOL MEANING EXAMPLE

Add
Subtract

Multiply

Divide

Divide
The following symbols are commonly used in the order of
operations:

SYMBOL MEANING EXAMPLE

Pi
Infinity is endless
Equals

Approximately equal
to
Not equal to
Perform Operations on Mathematical
Expression Correctly
SYMBOL MEANING EXAMPLE
Less than, less than or equal to
Greater than, greater than or equal
to
Square Root (Radical)

degrees

Therefore
Perform Operations on Mathematical
Expression Correctly
Order of operations is the hierarchy of mathematical operations. It is
the set of rules that determines which operations should be done before
or after the others.
PEMDAS
Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, and Division
and Addition, and Subtraction
BODMAS
Brackets, Order, Division and Multiplication,
Addition, and Subtraction
Perform Operations on Mathematical
Expression Correctly
The order of operations or BODMAS/PEMDAS is merely a set of rules that prioritize the
sequence of operations starting from the most important to the least important.

Step 1 Do as much as you can to simplify everything inside the

parenthesis first.
Simplify every exponential number in the numerical
Step 2 expression.
Multiply and divide whichever comes first, from left to
Step 3
right.

Step 4 Add and subtract whichever comes first, from left to

right
Example:
1. Evaluate

Remove the Parenthesis 6 × 2 − 3 +1

Multiply 1 2 − 3 +1
Subtract 9+ 1

Add 10

The answer is 10.

Perform Operations on Mathematical
Expression Correctly
2. Evaluate
¿ ( 10 ÷ 2 ) + (12 ÷ 2 × 3 )

¿ 5 + 18
¿ 2
 Perform Operations on Mathematical
Expression Correctly
3. Simplify
¿ 4 − 3 [4 − 2 (6 −3 )]÷ 2

¿ 4 − 3 [4 − 2 ( 3) ] ÷ 2

¿ 4 − 3 [ 4 − 6 ] ÷ 2
¿ 4 − 3 [− 2 ] ÷ 2
¿ 4 + 6 ÷ 2
¿ 4+ 3
¿7
Perform Operations on Mathematical
Expression Correctly
4. Simplify
¿ 16 − 3 ¿
¿ 16 − 3 ¿
¿ 16 − 3 (25 ) ÷ 5
¿ 16 − 75 ÷ 5
¿ 16 − 15
¿1
The Four Basic Concepts of
Mathematics
• Set
• Relation
• Function
• Binary Operation
 • SET
A SET is a collection of well-defined objects that contains no duplicates. The objects
in the set are called the elements of the set. To describe a set , we use braces { }, and
use capital letters to represent it.

Examples: The following are examples of sets:

• The books in the shelves in a library.
• The bank accounts in a bank
• The set of natural numbers ={1, 2, 3, ....}
• The integer numbers = {..., -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ...}.
• The rational numbers is the set of quotients of integers =
{p/q : and q = 0}.
 Ellipsis - The three dots enumerating the elements of the set and it
indicates a continuing pattern
Finite Set - contains elements that can be counted and terminates at
certain natural number.
Infinite Set - a set whose elements can not be counted

Example:
Set A = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}
the set of all even natural numbers less than or equal to 10. The order
in which the elements are listed is not relevant: i.e., the set {2, 4, 6,
8, 10} is the same as the set {8, 4, 2, 10, 6}
There is exactly one set, the empty set, or null set, or { },
which has no members at all. A set with only one member
is called as singleton or a singleton set. ("singleton of a")
 Specification of sets
There are three main ways to specify a set.

(1). List Notation/ Roster Method - by listing all its members

• list names of elements of a set, separate them by commas,
and enclose them in braces
Examples
• {1, 12, 45}
• {George Washington, Bill Cinton}
• {a, b, d, m}
• "Three-dot abbreviation" : {1, 2, ..., 100}
 Specification of sets
There are three main ways to specify a set.
(2) Predicate Notation/ Rule Method/ Set-Builder Notation
• by stating a property of its elements. It has a property that the
members of the set share (a condition or a predicate which holds
for members of this set)

Examples
1. {x|x is a natural number and x < 8}
means "the set of all x such that x is a natural
number is less than 8
2. {x|x is a letter of Russian alphabet}
3. {y|y is a student of KCAST and y is older than 25}
 Specification of sets
There are three main ways to specify a set.
(3) Recursive Rules
• by defining a set of rules which generates or defines its members.

Examples
1. The set E of even numbers greater than 3:
• ,
• If , then
• nothing else belongs to set E.
Equal Set
Two Sets are equal if they contain exactly the same
elements.

Example 1. { 3, 8, 9 } = { 9, 8, 3 }

2. { 6, 7, 7, 7, 7 } = { 6, 7 }

3. { 1, 3, 5, 7 } { 3, 5 }
Equivalent Set
Two sets are equivalent if they contain the same
number of elements.
Example:
• Which of the following are equivalent?
{ 𝜃 , 𝜀 , ℒ } , { ∞ , ∟ ,∩ } , { 1 , 4 , 3 } , { 𝑎, 𝑏 , 𝑐 } , { 🖤 , ♠ ️, 🔹 }
Solution: All of the given sets are equivalent. Note that no
two of them are equal , but they all have the same number of
elements
universal Set
A set that contains all the elements considered in a
particular situation and denoted by U.

Example: The universal set

a. Suppose we list digits only.
then, since includes all the digit

b. Suppose we consider the whole numbers.

then, since contains all whole numbers
subset
A set A is called a subset of B if every element of A is also
an element of B.
𝐴 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑠𝑒𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐵 𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑠 𝐴 ⊆ 𝐵 .

Example: Subsets
a.
b.
proper subset
is a subset that is not equal to the original set.

improper subset
A subset which contains all the elements of the
original set
Example:
Given { 3, 5, 7 } then,
proper subset are { }, { 5, 7 }, { 3, 5 }, { 3, 7 }.
improper subset is { 3, 5, 7 }
Cardinality of the set
It is the number of the distinct elements belonging to a
finite set. It is also called the cardinal number of the
set A denoted by or and .
power set
It is the family of all the subsets of denoted by .

Given set, the

 OPERATIONS ON
UNION SETS
is an operation for sets A and B in which a set is formed that consists
of all the elements included in A and B or both denoted by as

Examples:
1. Given

Find the following:

b. c.
 Example:

1. Given

Find the following:

b. c.
Solution:

b.
c.
 OPERATIONS ON
Intersection SETS
is the set containing all elements common to both A and B, denoted by
.
Example:
1. Given

Find the following:

b. c.
 Example:
1. Given

Find the following:

b. c.
Solution:

b.
c.
 OPERATIONS ON
SETS
Complementation
is an operation on a set that must be performed in reference to a
universal set, denoted by

Example:

Given

Solution :
 2. relation
A relation is a rules that pairs each element in one set , called the domain,
with one or more elements from a second set called the range. It creates a
set of ordered pairs.
Example:
Regular Holidays in the Philippines Month and Date
1. New Year’s Day January 1
2. Labor Day May 1
3. Independence Day June 12
4. Bonifacio Day November 30
5. Rizal Day December 30
 2. relation
A clearer way to express a relation is to form a set of ordered
pairs;

Example:

(New Year’s Day, January 1) , (Labor Day, May 1),

(Independence Day, June 12), (Bonifacio Day,
November 30), (Rizal Day, December 30).
This set describes a relation.
 2. relation
Example:

Is not a relation but just a set of ordered pairs.

is a relation. The domain of the relation is

the set and the range is .
 3. function
is a rule that pairs each element in one set, called the domain, with
exactly once element from the second set, called the range. This
means that for each first coordinate, there is exactly one second
coordinate or for every first element of x, there corresponds a
unique second element y.
Remember:
A one-to-one correspondence and many -to-one correspondence are
called FUNCTIONS while one-to-many correspondence is not.
 3. function
Examples can be represented using the following:

1. TABLE
The perimeter of a square is four times the length of its
side.
SIDE (S) 1 3 5 7 9
PERIMETER (P) 4 12 20 28 36
 3. function
Examples can be represented using:

2. ORDERED PAIRS

{ ( 1 , 4 ) , ( 3 , 12 ) , ( 5 , 20 ) , ( 7 , 28 ) , ( 9 , 36 ) }
 3. function
Examples can be represented using the following:

3. MAPPING

1 4
3 12
5 20
7 28
9 36
 3. function
Examples can be represented using the following:

4. GRAPHING

Using Vertical line Test, a

set of points in the plane is
the graph of a function if
and only if no vertical line
intersects the graph in more
than one point.
 4. binary operation
A binary operation on a set is a calculation involving two
elements of the set to produce another element of the set.

A new math (binary) operation, using the symbol *, is defined to be

a * b = 3a + b, where a and b are real numbers.

Example:
• What is 4 * 3? Solution:
4 * 3 = 3(4) + 3 = 12 +3 = 15
 4. binary operation
Example:
2. Is a * b commutative?
Solution:
Verify if
Not true to all real numbers
If and then is not true.

Therefore: The operation * is not commutative for all real numbers.

 4. binary operation
Example: 2. Is associative?
Solution: Verify if

If

The operation * is not associative for real numbers

Sometimes, a binary operation on a finite set (a set
with a limited number of elements) is displayed in a
table below.

* 1 2 3 4
1 4 3 2 1
To read the table: read the
2 3 1 4 2 first value from the left hand
3 2 4 1 3 column and the second value
from the top row. The
3 2 4 1 3 answer is the intersection
4 1 2 3 4 point.
Elementary Logic
According to David W. Kueker (2009), logic is simply defined as the analysis
of methods of reasoning.

Example:
• All mean are mortal. Luke is a man. Hence, Luke is mortal.
• All dogs like fish. Cyber is a dog. Hence, Cyber likes fish
propositions and Connectives
A proposition (or statement) is a sentence that is either true or false
(without additional information).
The Logical Connectives are defined by truth tables
LOGIC MATH ENGLISH
Conjunction and
Disjunction Or (inclusive)

Negation not
Conditional If…then…
Biconditional If and only if
A denial is a statement equibalent to the
negation of a statement
Example:

1.The negation of
2.A denial of
A tautology is a statement which is
always true.
Example:

Distributive Law

1.
A contradiction is a statement which is
always false.
Example:
• All mean are mortal. Luke is a man. Hence, Luke is mortal.
• All dogs like fish. Cyber is a dog. Hence, Cyber likes fish

The contrapositive of the statement if P the Q is if ~Q then

~P. An implication and its contrapositive are logically
equivalent, so one can always be used in place of the
other.
A predicate (open sentence) is a sentence
containing one or more variables which
becomes a proposition upon replacement of the
variables.
Example:
1. The integer is even.

2. Triangle ABC is isosceles.

 • Universal/ General Quantifier is used to say that a
given predicate is true for all possible values of its
variables.
• Existential Quantifier is used to say that there is some
value of the variables which makes a predicate a true
statement.
Example:
1. Let be a real number. is not a proposition, it is a predicate.
2. “There exists an so that is a proposition (true)
3. “For all , is also a proposition (false)
4. These are written as:
and
Thank you!