Pronunciation of mathematical expressions ( P2 J2 E% R. q/ B" x( KThe pronunciations of the most common mathematical expressions are given in the list" ~+ L. d$ k" K/ H% X, u& [
below. In general, the shortest versions are preferred (unless greater precision is necessary). 2 S b, _5 I2 L' y1. Logic * l4 x4 b% Z' C* E9 there exists / o8 L9 e; O/ O8 B9 A* r0 q" H, V8 for all . R: A5 F$ `- @# ep ) q p implies q / if p, then q ) S- f) p/ z; Gp , q p if and only if q /p is equivalent to q / p and q are equivalent 7 H0 M+ g8 f0 ?/ a2. Sets 3 ^ O3 v* y3 }. n* }3 Q6 t8 ?4 vx 2 A x belongs to A / x is an element (or a member) of A 8 I( I+ C1 J3 ?+ z( yx =2 A x does not belong to A / x is not an element (or a member) of A* B& Y. r8 c d5 e, S% I
A ½ B A is contained in B / A is a subset of B # Y2 i- f+ ?8 q& k* ZA ¾ B A contains B / B is a subset of A 3 ~# Q% U3 j% d3 i* G0 n5 p1 BA \ B A cap B / A meet B / A intersection B$ X1 v6 w" x. }; T }0 `; W
A [ B A cup B / A join B / A union B: h3 V$ j5 F6 u# ^! y% q( \
A n B A minus B / the di®erence between A and B6 j/ F7 h& J- B5 R
A £ B A cross B / the cartesian product of A and B " {, }5 Z: o% L7 G' ^9 v7 [: j3. Real numbers 5 }# [8 |7 _1 \$ K: ?" Lx + 1 x plus one2 e/ Q" W' N; Y* `
x ¡ 1 x minus one( s5 e: K' h0 F0 p% r# Q8 R
x § 1 x plus or minus one+ `3 h$ }* G5 Z! {# `) y: V
xy xy / x multiplied by y L0 t7 @$ |# c5 ~(x ¡ y)(x + y) x minus y, x plus y8 a: U2 N; Y# v9 O7 T% }
x9 C# {. q9 J! @/ y4 `" h
y ; ?6 y. h9 D" wx over y4 B6 x- Q5 }% w2 k) U3 J
= the equals sign$ T" v5 \+ V/ x% ?5 G
x = 5 x equals 5 / x is equal to 5 " P6 `: \6 ]: y6 V, h8 J( p' `8 Nx 6= 5 x (is) not equal to 59 E8 @* M% W+ H! T" L% g" j. G( n
1 X, ^5 Q& m+ J3 A+ j0 S i f( k
x ´ y x is equivalent to (or identical with) y, g' F( L( [" l7 u
x 6´ y x is not equivalent to (or identical with) y ! J A8 t% e8 d8 {5 [* K# Hx > y x is greater than y: o% Z6 U' h/ N
x ¸ y x is greater than or equal to y 9 r: o1 f6 |' Zx < y x is less than y ; d" E4 ?# J( t% v2 x/ xx · y x is less than or equal to y# P4 y9 H2 m' O% G# w: r7 E1 n
0 < x < 1 zero is less than x is less than 1% M; ], b! x7 Y& N
0 · x · 1 zero is less than or equal to x is less than or equal to 1 $ _' A' k5 D& n/ q! Xjxj mod x / modulus x $ r( s7 E: w U/ E0 Rx2 x squared / x (raised) to the power 22 G& l% `/ t% U3 W0 W$ i( u' M) B& X
x3 x cubed $ d- ]+ G& Y. |4 Cx4 x to the fourth / x to the power four / z( \& `0 v% H1 bxn x to the nth / x to the power n6 ~5 w( n! g. g: F. s5 J" l j
x¡n x to the (power) minus n & x x# b2 j: e7 gpx (square) root x / the square root of x/ W- Z! W* g+ _! E4 _
p3 x cube root (of) x, a' ]9 q t9 P2 c/ J
p4 x fourth root (of) x+ q; M* U- {3 D
npx nth root (of) x% ^+ b5 n' F. v7 j
(x + y)2 x plus y all squared 3 t/ f! o9 v4 J' j8 r0 S7 t* p³x8 @. ^4 `3 [. U0 I
y9 W4 G- B/ D, G
´2- F% {2 v7 p& x
x over y all squared0 W0 C( i/ U' y3 \8 G% a7 ]
n! n factorial4 ]" U0 @$ E6 c+ `4 }
^x x hat ; V- `; p5 ~# C/ l. ~% c4 ]# d% Y9 o¹x x bar 5 L6 R0 m9 i" }3 i3 ?- E- u, j~x x tilde 5 ^0 R4 Z: ~) B3 T2 {1 ^+ f0 z" Zxi xi / x subscript i / x su±x i / x sub i1 x* N" `# Z3 N" Z$ z
Xn ) p/ w) j; T, _8 W, Xi=1 + e# a9 {9 E3 O T; }& s9 _ai the sum from i equals one to n ai / the sum as i runs from 1 to n of the ai" {0 z& n4 t4 i6 v+ M8 M& U
4. Linear algebra 9 y0 ~4 a* d! V! U% Nkxk the norm (or modulus) of x4 c) J# w' z B1 M7 c0 `! W) r
O¡¡!A OA / vector OA - }/ i# f5 M9 J- N5 j) kOA OA / the length of the segment OA7 `, `/ C2 W7 u
AT A transpose / the transpose of A; }5 t/ {% r) a( D0 z* a, b8 y {
A¡1 A inverse / the inverse of A " ^5 ~; S: W/ I# v1 m23 O0 Z- h* V& w2 p
5. Functions 3 e+ {; a5 S! w$ Tf(x) fx / f of x / the function f of x ; t& z) h/ p8 A, r! n+ of : S ! T a function f from S to T8 O# {3 k* |0 D; ?
x 7! y x maps to y / x is sent (or mapped) to y 1 }* e; v/ P) N% [( ^) b$ q- Vf0(x) f prime x / f dash x / the (¯rst) derivative of f with respect to x , x" i2 o) S- ?' `) H5 Y' gf00(x) f double{prime x / f double{dash x / the second derivative of f with3 b- }0 |1 T& u( E$ \" h, m
respect to x! ^" w; ]# y5 [8 ?. f
f000(x) f triple{prime x / f triple{dash x / the third derivative of f with respect- x' k! h$ x$ c2 G
to x% Z+ I3 |, v: N* ]9 t6 b! z9 e4 h
f(4)(x) f four x / the fourth derivative of f with respect to x* x: n; |- c9 T2 N- |: N
@f6 R d) g9 _7 e7 `. o6 j
@x1 1 T) T2 t9 z, ~! F) Qthe partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1* w" r% G- L+ m3 ]
@2f8 Z% s* Z7 U% m/ G6 w1 _+ y! x8 Z
@x216 N" k+ b/ ?; V) T
the second partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1( c, Q, T- t! m% k7 w! i8 A
Z5 L3 f% g% t: Z9 |- ~7 H! N- e
1" J V; s% o4 d4 I0 }4 p" M
0 F; L" G( `- W: d# A$ W- o% Y. ~0 _
the integral from zero to in¯nity 7 p- J1 S' O# {5 p" T" l- Nlim5 Q# U, ?& H6 W8 d' M8 |9 \: q' h
x!0 ! ]- f5 w7 `, c+ Ethe limit as x approaches zero* U+ m# f" e6 I
lim ; K% z" U5 R; q1 Y8 S" tx!+0 w3 P/ y- h0 ]7 t2 l
the limit as x approaches zero from above% P# O# s) G5 ?. P7 l+ g
lim 8 Z* w: X" x- f$ x4 sx!¡0* F. s& R4 G. M- x5 W3 k: c
the limit as x approaches zero from below( c9 H) l( A9 \- A# j9 H# c
loge y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y: R$ s5 t5 G' D7 {6 Q1 l$ T
ln y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y , `# F, P. Z+ B+ ]" gIndividual mathematicians often have their own way of pronouncing mathematical expressions * \0 ^" Y2 Q: Y% e- e9 o0 Oand in many cases there is no generally accepted \correct" pronunciation. 9 ?& i8 \% [3 D0 v# \/ k& gDistinctions made in writing are often not made explicit in speech; thus the sounds fx may ! J1 M+ q) w$ ^7 B; G* _# U) Xbe interpreted as any of: fx, f(x), fx, FX, FX, F¡¡X!. The di®erence is usually made clear / c+ V( \- ?& ^* a% Sby the context; it is only when confusion may occur, or where he/she wishes to emphasise 7 K5 ~! R" J$ U: fthe point, that the mathematician will use the longer forms: f multiplied by x, the function3 P: s- J4 [: t
f of x, f subscript x, line FX, the length of the segment FX, vector FX. K2 D. H! n+ i' x4 s/ o
Similarly, a mathematician is unlikely to make any distinction in speech (except sometimes , Y- g6 ~/ _9 ea di®erence in intonation or length of pauses) between pairs such as the following:" ^5 n2 X8 b" D4 z! R
x + (y + z) and (x + y) + z 4 l4 U& `# c8 T2 W5 C5 r+ Ppax + b and pax + b 1 S8 b1 q. v3 Q6 ran ¡ 1 and an¡1- A l7 @0 P T1 Z- `4 Y' n
The primary reference has been David Hall with Tim Bowyer, Nucleus, English for Science: T* U( v) X+ G
and Technology, Mathematics, Longman 1980. Glen Anderson and Matti Vuorinen have% u) R4 z& W6 [! d" j" l3 g/ [
given good comments and supplements.: V* w+ H4 o- v' D" N8 l
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