Pronunciation of mathematical expressions 1 d, O: x3 e) M8 `; z( v8 ^The pronunciations of the most common mathematical expressions are given in the list1 J# y- x3 ^) X5 {8 H
below. In general, the shortest versions are preferred (unless greater precision is necessary).& D0 }% X, X. s% y2 x& r6 w% ^
1. Logic , f2 h; g) ?, r* @8 v P9 there exists 3 ~( [( h: j/ V- h8 for all% F% a- @) K. f, f5 P# g- I% M
p ) q p implies q / if p, then q6 K% j" S( `5 [* ?2 b
p , q p if and only if q /p is equivalent to q / p and q are equivalent6 z: w: X0 g6 l4 ~; _
2. Sets . q1 G2 |" ^; |! B( R; ox 2 A x belongs to A / x is an element (or a member) of A ; Q1 }7 s2 T; N- f6 z |x =2 A x does not belong to A / x is not an element (or a member) of A! G5 z; `- ?+ Y
A ½ B A is contained in B / A is a subset of B , s0 u0 x4 ?9 \1 f9 e5 J: x$ gA ¾ B A contains B / B is a subset of A 7 u2 }' j1 p5 J; R1 ?A \ B A cap B / A meet B / A intersection B 2 [: T( q }$ i$ S7 p$ b) z4 _) W; tA [ B A cup B / A join B / A union B" F- J& G( f3 Y6 l
A n B A minus B / the di®erence between A and B8 u( F; m1 q( @8 s$ w- Z
A £ B A cross B / the cartesian product of A and B . p( P6 x v- z6 [3. Real numbers : ]- _1 I' |$ k+ S9 l2 O& O# ix + 1 x plus one 9 k' o0 }% j' Y9 {x ¡ 1 x minus one ! Y& [1 C) t# T nx § 1 x plus or minus one+ F+ h J% i1 N
xy xy / x multiplied by y + c/ S. d7 h& ]1 E1 u A(x ¡ y)(x + y) x minus y, x plus y S. _3 J/ P: S8 H& ]
x% \' [7 _$ I n f" n# r
y" a9 M9 d. v/ s8 p7 x2 b
x over y 0 X3 y1 b. z# J+ y! Q, d= the equals sign . o1 \) Y* K' N$ P5 Q5 C# Ex = 5 x equals 5 / x is equal to 5) @. P C2 n! e8 n, B$ ^ j
x 6= 5 x (is) not equal to 5 % N T! B$ X" Y19 z6 }2 P8 \' a7 Y. R/ j; S/ U
x ´ y x is equivalent to (or identical with) y 3 q0 h, _4 z: s: tx 6´ y x is not equivalent to (or identical with) y 1 T4 G! W# ~: e7 [& f9 zx > y x is greater than y- R& i% m" O. Q2 y: Y/ @
x ¸ y x is greater than or equal to y $ s: T9 B- n( b' C& T$ q6 Hx < y x is less than y : F# ~3 H z' V) Ex · y x is less than or equal to y 8 P4 q5 \9 N1 |6 k0 M" Z2 k1 D7 N0 < x < 1 zero is less than x is less than 1: k' Y: R" p8 `$ l/ N( M0 k
0 · x · 1 zero is less than or equal to x is less than or equal to 1 7 _; l: j. x0 W0 Y$ ^jxj mod x / modulus x . x7 o/ W: m) h y, ^' t, ?x2 x squared / x (raised) to the power 2. {" _1 p5 s5 h+ J$ V, q
x3 x cubed 0 w' b- s# G" G! ex4 x to the fourth / x to the power four' g& U' G- _' f# V
xn x to the nth / x to the power n5 Y- n8 J2 W8 ^( ~' Z
x¡n x to the (power) minus n 9 v1 [( K( g( k- Z# _px (square) root x / the square root of x' ~1 J4 y7 h% v- k' A( R
p3 x cube root (of) x / B8 b) Z) ?1 b: f9 h" V# A+ Yp4 x fourth root (of) x! N a* Q. K5 D
npx nth root (of) x 5 A" d+ p. l$ c(x + y)2 x plus y all squared 4 `# X- `' f5 k0 `³x 1 g& K7 h, ^; O& p& W8 ay & `! E" ~2 p" E´2 0 |4 L1 h. O- s) b# \" l& gx over y all squared ( d7 E: q& ]# D3 q0 |( C Vn! n factorial' }0 x/ B& ^* _% U* g6 M
^x x hat5 s$ B, j' k0 N
¹x x bar9 n, ~; w' r2 m, ^8 N
~x x tilde 3 _: I! \0 T' l) f' txi xi / x subscript i / x su±x i / x sub i 5 y* C7 k6 q9 h4 m- @2 ]8 @( sXn 2 Y' p7 V6 B+ B4 `0 y2 ni=1 6 } o! _ X3 z$ pai the sum from i equals one to n ai / the sum as i runs from 1 to n of the ai# }6 R5 v) F: f7 I! \; K
4. Linear algebra % l& `3 A" q, o1 X& z; Qkxk the norm (or modulus) of x$ b: K/ c' p; q O D" r
O¡¡!A OA / vector OA 1 l6 E( I2 T# K; P1 H' c3 nOA OA / the length of the segment OA, V/ w9 @7 \6 `; d. R" X4 M
AT A transpose / the transpose of A 2 ^ R9 A! f- |: ZA¡1 A inverse / the inverse of A3 U; S( j/ N' j5 R6 B" u
24 `2 T' y4 ]+ u9 s
5. Functions % X% e& J( z' O, \$ t; R6 If(x) fx / f of x / the function f of x " Y. r2 P6 M# u4 g' \0 y: v) if : S ! T a function f from S to T 9 E' F9 d1 u5 ux 7! y x maps to y / x is sent (or mapped) to y2 U% f9 x9 b7 G; s* ~$ [, k {
f0(x) f prime x / f dash x / the (¯rst) derivative of f with respect to x 0 T! G: \( [) Wf00(x) f double{prime x / f double{dash x / the second derivative of f with- t/ N+ F5 R. h. d4 |, C/ R! a
respect to x5 H0 w% k; T$ y$ c3 V6 Q: L
f000(x) f triple{prime x / f triple{dash x / the third derivative of f with respect- E7 t2 V8 b/ }$ A
to x 4 `) _* ~: B" \0 L% h- }" Ef(4)(x) f four x / the fourth derivative of f with respect to x+ t4 H2 Q n. `8 `
@f 5 K) O! k% X. f0 B: @7 v& h@x1 & e8 k& w2 f/ u. O. q. z$ }the partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 ; J; c- ^8 L- `/ h0 b6 b) n8 J' Z@2f 3 Z9 ?7 {* e$ o; d9 e$ v& P: b@x21" v" A2 `5 e9 D
the second partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 - ]' |! V5 Q) q# u" h" Y% ?Z7 t3 s- h0 P( t
1& g0 n/ ?- c, i+ Q/ A- f: x1 k
05 V9 ~$ `( q2 m9 f
the integral from zero to in¯nity$ z) u* I1 x' w9 P- E! v
lim & J. w0 R* V% c1 R; `4 N2 ^9 [4 Lx!0 , r9 c- ?0 ?4 i+ bthe limit as x approaches zero% w6 E+ H; g: M
lim% }- y8 c' \: }
x!+0 1 j% G- b! d; \; U: ]2 O0 bthe limit as x approaches zero from above [% `- X+ n) g. M: u
lim4 G- A! h; R9 ]% M1 B7 [4 ^* v0 j3 G
x!¡0 * j$ W! P) V; |1 cthe limit as x approaches zero from below ( o) x9 h0 l+ y6 c0 c, V8 h' ologe y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y * k2 z8 |7 Z# H* u9 Wln y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y f' s5 r$ M, M3 N# JIndividual mathematicians often have their own way of pronouncing mathematical expressions ) r& D+ d9 Z; oand in many cases there is no generally accepted \correct" pronunciation. 2 ], o: f9 T8 N# X+ e6 ^/ [4 VDistinctions made in writing are often not made explicit in speech; thus the sounds fx may ! _ y/ i9 a- o. a2 [be interpreted as any of: fx, f(x), fx, FX, FX, F¡¡X!. The di®erence is usually made clear4 J! K3 P, L- s2 q5 v i) h
by the context; it is only when confusion may occur, or where he/she wishes to emphasise * I6 b3 z8 c' Q. Y+ othe point, that the mathematician will use the longer forms: f multiplied by x, the function: V) E; n1 D2 I7 O2 i- ~
f of x, f subscript x, line FX, the length of the segment FX, vector FX. % m2 I3 U" z3 [* PSimilarly, a mathematician is unlikely to make any distinction in speech (except sometimes! e, l7 }$ d* Y) {
a di®erence in intonation or length of pauses) between pairs such as the following:0 Z( {% X" X! V+ E2 g$ g# G
x + (y + z) and (x + y) + z1 z: A. [9 p! O9 s: |. [
pax + b and pax + b$ \* W8 B7 b4 K
an ¡ 1 and an¡19 D# y' H6 \0 x0 t
The primary reference has been David Hall with Tim Bowyer, Nucleus, English for Science" A$ H+ q# n5 }# f. }; r @1 S( @
and Technology, Mathematics, Longman 1980. Glen Anderson and Matti Vuorinen have: ^$ v$ M) L2 Q& h1 k, \: Q
given good comments and supplements. % y% ^9 ?2 J: l- q4 k3