Pronunciation of mathematical expressions , J& N& }2 D8 |The pronunciations of the most common mathematical expressions are given in the list ; j; [4 x7 k# z9 d: J- abelow. In general, the shortest versions are preferred (unless greater precision is necessary). " ?& N$ \: ~* L) I1. Logic( F* Y. {: x r8 c$ @
9 there exists2 R+ \ c1 A! f
8 for all , P/ _3 k+ Y1 [/ ^' _: t8 K( V' s. \& pp ) q p implies q / if p, then q # \4 o. c+ @* p- G5 d; n0 Pp , q p if and only if q /p is equivalent to q / p and q are equivalent7 U9 \; e* m @8 R( \# ]
2. Sets / H0 M( k) x' ~6 Y B/ a; o, px 2 A x belongs to A / x is an element (or a member) of A m! |# `& u) C n( l% [
x =2 A x does not belong to A / x is not an element (or a member) of A Y: u) Z2 z0 @3 B: H- M
A ½ B A is contained in B / A is a subset of B9 _; P3 }0 \+ Z$ D, l
A ¾ B A contains B / B is a subset of A $ a/ j: O5 |* |A \ B A cap B / A meet B / A intersection B # y( R" N- W" T; V: c6 r5 _A [ B A cup B / A join B / A union B u Z) n1 i& b" b; I4 P
A n B A minus B / the di®erence between A and B' V$ f: c* Z9 h
A £ B A cross B / the cartesian product of A and B1 ?- ]) I- }& w' c" _0 n( D
3. Real numbers5 }. I+ H" E5 n. _7 y7 m& ^
x + 1 x plus one2 H6 z& @6 m& y ]# N
x ¡ 1 x minus one / u2 ^- b! a# X0 {4 f+ Z1 wx § 1 x plus or minus one 5 \5 b: @3 @0 V, F6 Yxy xy / x multiplied by y% E0 M* o1 F2 t: Z, W: |
(x ¡ y)(x + y) x minus y, x plus y& E& D4 b4 @ w) V4 Z
x 3 o" ^5 Z& \) i& p* s; x' \# Oy 8 V! g6 f' U1 K% B7 ]! Cx over y% U* x# j- A. j( J
= the equals sign ' q- C& c. i- V8 @* G. Kx = 5 x equals 5 / x is equal to 5) X7 ~. N3 u. p& M+ p- h8 y
x 6= 5 x (is) not equal to 5 5 p5 T5 D2 r7 G% V+ |1 5 d k6 i- S2 m+ k5 jx ´ y x is equivalent to (or identical with) y/ Y6 a1 T# y/ r( h+ W
x 6´ y x is not equivalent to (or identical with) y$ K* p8 r1 {: J, `% S, ~6 ]
x > y x is greater than y 9 |7 W9 }9 N0 o5 tx ¸ y x is greater than or equal to y7 q' d0 R9 @) z1 o+ T6 P
x < y x is less than y/ Q3 ` I6 F3 r! ?
x · y x is less than or equal to y ; p- n4 O) B! m0 < x < 1 zero is less than x is less than 1 4 Y7 o/ L; b5 x# ]4 r' o0 · x · 1 zero is less than or equal to x is less than or equal to 1 6 ^3 B8 K5 f" r8 Kjxj mod x / modulus x 1 T5 r( y' ?/ W- `, ^x2 x squared / x (raised) to the power 21 L; b8 F1 U9 Y7 |1 o
x3 x cubed# o8 e6 y) S$ N! x
x4 x to the fourth / x to the power four : l3 q- ~( h0 [! O5 L" l- e( U2 F1 ?xn x to the nth / x to the power n% ^7 S, f9 z/ _" f
x¡n x to the (power) minus n* X: A! E+ m# i4 i+ X8 ?) ~
px (square) root x / the square root of x 8 j4 B+ i( f; V2 z; e$ x' P* v, Vp3 x cube root (of) x ) @/ R' @5 e% @, l1 p+ Tp4 x fourth root (of) x ; D# L3 s5 N3 u& Y7 D8 Dnpx nth root (of) x9 E6 L3 J3 ?7 c( w$ p
(x + y)2 x plus y all squared 3 ~& X7 z/ @3 `4 s³x: @, i' ^9 h5 }2 F" N
y 7 Q( _, h/ c; p9 M6 Q6 A8 R2 y& V´2 3 U6 y' w- Z: b& Z+ L# J1 Rx over y all squared S: q* g9 [0 Nn! n factorial ( G u$ f7 W6 {: D) l# v. I^x x hat ' L9 w) w" K0 L# }# F¹x x bar " {5 K# H( M6 X$ Q5 r~x x tilde+ E! f5 Z+ m! o: p: K. |. k+ b
xi xi / x subscript i / x su±x i / x sub i 3 ]; L; l. @- UXn % k8 m% e- \5 A8 L9 p6 r0 v7 E% \+ z3 `i=1 k% f2 y& M+ _) q+ `, a" G8 O0 v
ai the sum from i equals one to n ai / the sum as i runs from 1 to n of the ai 3 C8 K( G" y7 q4 s( u9 X; J( L4. Linear algebra / V" I2 a' N8 m% Bkxk the norm (or modulus) of x * o3 M2 H" G( u$ B6 p0 ?O¡¡!A OA / vector OA) ^1 a8 k1 Y1 n" ^- C
OA OA / the length of the segment OA- m+ |% g( L: I" Y3 l
AT A transpose / the transpose of A 2 r, `4 e% A9 @; M1 AA¡1 A inverse / the inverse of A , l& p5 T% X- I% h6 B2 * l+ H( Z9 I* o1 Z4 |+ q5. Functions ! }" H' _ w: d" R, n1 @% D6 Af(x) fx / f of x / the function f of x% [9 `* z, C$ ^% n! @/ Z, c
f : S ! T a function f from S to T $ w& X/ @2 r- Y, Jx 7! y x maps to y / x is sent (or mapped) to y ( y7 X Z, c8 x: F# z9 kf0(x) f prime x / f dash x / the (¯rst) derivative of f with respect to x 3 E7 m8 e B* x* W6 Tf00(x) f double{prime x / f double{dash x / the second derivative of f with , \+ L8 E; p2 V2 s# Q8 _( Srespect to x ( J" r) p3 U [( b- Q' Rf000(x) f triple{prime x / f triple{dash x / the third derivative of f with respect ' x& g* R8 Z# D2 q: V( ? ^to x/ Q6 s) w- K- Y. a( g
f(4)(x) f four x / the fourth derivative of f with respect to x ) P( i' R/ q% p/ c2 Y6 O@f6 h5 L( F2 X6 k' K" ^
@x14 E+ d! ^3 o1 C2 i7 i) G6 e
the partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 . v: u9 I2 f/ F% Q V0 ~* Z@2f # l& ?& U2 I9 B@x21( E- N. t6 i/ H( r: e) ~0 r9 V
the second partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1$ t! m; \6 |7 h h2 m
Z % }( \2 U7 a8 a3 y$ U1 8 l, D& u) n$ j, I: [' {' h0 1 X3 |) |3 a$ q& g6 q4 [the integral from zero to in¯nity3 I& Y& Q2 x2 G9 i1 w9 k8 J
lim& p- [3 I" q% s1 L+ m, j3 Z
x!0 5 ~7 U; r( g; E1 kthe limit as x approaches zero0 v) w+ X& D1 x4 B& R; z0 c( K
lim 7 s4 ]- S! G$ M8 W2 ?x!+0: t) M/ \% F! ?- B
the limit as x approaches zero from above5 `6 u. }7 G* H+ y+ F
lim . V, C J# K" _" D Gx!¡0+ M" @2 T1 F, I# _" d0 t
the limit as x approaches zero from below 9 w$ I/ w7 z6 |, p1 G* Uloge y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y 3 r5 E2 `& D% [" x S$ F: nln y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y" |9 T5 q) Y' n! o6 R
Individual mathematicians often have their own way of pronouncing mathematical expressions $ Y) B c: n; `, p" Iand in many cases there is no generally accepted \correct" pronunciation.) K+ [$ z$ u- b
Distinctions made in writing are often not made explicit in speech; thus the sounds fx may - _/ ?% Q+ ~# k7 p4 b& l* `5 Gbe interpreted as any of: fx, f(x), fx, FX, FX, F¡¡X!. The di®erence is usually made clear, B, Y& N( o( x4 H/ N8 j& ~
by the context; it is only when confusion may occur, or where he/she wishes to emphasise " u) v- d7 Q+ [ f& {9 w: Ithe point, that the mathematician will use the longer forms: f multiplied by x, the function% e+ W. i# l% \
f of x, f subscript x, line FX, the length of the segment FX, vector FX. % W. j0 v8 ]( Y+ eSimilarly, a mathematician is unlikely to make any distinction in speech (except sometimes ! P; d' L) u: O. M, l- Qa di®erence in intonation or length of pauses) between pairs such as the following: ! F& ^( k1 ~ t" F4 e. `x + (y + z) and (x + y) + z " d! H+ G. u% o& {pax + b and pax + b 9 n4 i6 V0 v6 F& `4 D" i/ {) Ban ¡ 1 and an¡1/ b' n- }8 K3 ~" |4 K' f
The primary reference has been David Hall with Tim Bowyer, Nucleus, English for Science. _/ `; M! _0 u
and Technology, Mathematics, Longman 1980. Glen Anderson and Matti Vuorinen have/ V# _9 [+ v9 T6 f5 V+ F5 f
given good comments and supplements. , y& f; G# |/ J3