Pronunciation of mathematical expressions* l& N4 F" r l& _
The pronunciations of the most common mathematical expressions are given in the list ' i7 X4 c/ m; lbelow. In general, the shortest versions are preferred (unless greater precision is necessary). / g4 Y4 t$ k+ G9 f5 a8 {7 z, G3 n. J1. Logic. l( W( o6 p" n3 X5 ]; t/ f' s
9 there exists& k; u0 M! {! b
8 for all- D. C' F4 ]% t' o$ H
p ) q p implies q / if p, then q4 {* s1 |3 V3 |2 ?' f: s
p , q p if and only if q /p is equivalent to q / p and q are equivalent) _1 r3 S2 X" X( t6 {, f
2. Sets 3 U" L. c& }7 @, B1 B$ d3 p4 tx 2 A x belongs to A / x is an element (or a member) of A ; R. f D5 P8 K8 vx =2 A x does not belong to A / x is not an element (or a member) of A 8 _. j! J1 m D$ `A ½ B A is contained in B / A is a subset of B 4 @6 u! g6 l! R% N" O, U' nA ¾ B A contains B / B is a subset of A $ k2 \" \! }& b0 I. R! T* d; r% m7 ~A \ B A cap B / A meet B / A intersection B 4 @8 q" _( t' L F/ B B' ~A [ B A cup B / A join B / A union B " q( |1 k6 e+ {2 d2 k2 ]A n B A minus B / the di®erence between A and B + D3 s" B# ~$ j, N9 n; k _3 p( mA £ B A cross B / the cartesian product of A and B: I& o3 L& F4 e' Z7 x8 w
3. Real numbers ; ]5 ^: H/ k: B% s) b3 Sx + 1 x plus one8 R S. P. C7 G' P; w
x ¡ 1 x minus one 4 u7 V5 h$ G, Y: A/ W) Rx § 1 x plus or minus one - A. V8 b- L" G# y$ O# ]/ \xy xy / x multiplied by y 6 o u3 h6 g& d' b(x ¡ y)(x + y) x minus y, x plus y3 |9 ~3 g' P2 q/ T, W* w( K
x : F8 c% ~) b2 `( Z8 n% R! p3 Ey+ V% }: Y1 b3 `0 D. p5 B3 w
x over y . u. c! B" ~) o# l= the equals sign - l% g! \5 k# Ex = 5 x equals 5 / x is equal to 59 \! ~/ R7 B3 K; M9 O
x 6= 5 x (is) not equal to 5 8 j- ~2 ]( R, ~; Q1 : p6 @5 `6 \, B+ P% y) cx ´ y x is equivalent to (or identical with) y* m% t4 C7 c9 h7 H
x 6´ y x is not equivalent to (or identical with) y- |& f! ^' r* A" R# w; A
x > y x is greater than y ' b3 y* {6 j, N7 r* D: l0 dx ¸ y x is greater than or equal to y 7 L0 u3 `7 {: e j! ~x < y x is less than y! k0 E7 ~8 O7 G [ ]# V5 T r
x · y x is less than or equal to y1 n! g! @/ v& Q8 x/ o8 W: n$ X2 Y
0 < x < 1 zero is less than x is less than 1. M! R" P2 H% Y* t
0 · x · 1 zero is less than or equal to x is less than or equal to 1 / q' u' |( Z1 A$ zjxj mod x / modulus x6 T+ l; H( Z! s2 ]
x2 x squared / x (raised) to the power 2 ' A+ ~5 D7 x& E o3 ?" R" \. f8 N# Ex3 x cubed ' q1 ?; F* E% xx4 x to the fourth / x to the power four 5 i& y9 x# M8 Qxn x to the nth / x to the power n 4 d3 C* r; N2 L( K& ~x¡n x to the (power) minus n 8 R$ B( t j1 u; gpx (square) root x / the square root of x 6 ?! I0 [' Y4 ]4 e' O& n) y& i- ap3 x cube root (of) x ' A, O ^4 B; jp4 x fourth root (of) x- @2 A/ e$ e e2 f- f/ z
npx nth root (of) x% N" A% o8 b5 {" e1 y$ T
(x + y)2 x plus y all squared : o% x1 O, C* L+ g1 e1 G³x 0 G) _# y& @1 [: L2 q8 x# qy/ u, }- w% I' k6 C* B; N
´2 " _3 B" `, U, c) b& A) p* {% Kx over y all squared 2 O, U' S5 g, M, P/ M7 Cn! n factorial( g! O6 a, M+ S4 ~, h6 p' t6 }
^x x hat $ A& L: {% E3 C$ h% V6 n$ c¹x x bar 2 Z; @9 Q; a6 u6 r1 F5 R7 S8 v( a3 n~x x tilde 6 C- x/ D' a5 Q9 O3 V5 |9 oxi xi / x subscript i / x su±x i / x sub i9 b$ ~( g- g$ V& R- U7 f! X
Xn( H% Q7 v0 F: j9 m5 K5 u ]
i=1+ Q; |' X1 N1 D
ai the sum from i equals one to n ai / the sum as i runs from 1 to n of the ai2 K A$ R4 W" k) c* h5 I7 v
4. Linear algebra$ U! Y0 `, ^! j! a$ z+ H, t9 u! Z
kxk the norm (or modulus) of x* `4 u9 o8 u. K3 j, c/ ^ J+ E
O¡¡!A OA / vector OA 4 } V+ X! y6 ~$ m! ^OA OA / the length of the segment OA + E$ C# Y- n% Y' ]7 {' PAT A transpose / the transpose of A, v |0 q6 B" S3 Z% K% M/ K3 H* b6 x
A¡1 A inverse / the inverse of A0 d8 P, T2 H& O8 s
2 6 d8 {: j8 R/ h% g4 D/ z5. Functions / U. u6 e( [$ D1 L+ A: of(x) fx / f of x / the function f of x4 c2 P7 D9 {/ H9 o: ~
f : S ! T a function f from S to T L" K. N3 C# H1 ]1 D, m* u9 \x 7! y x maps to y / x is sent (or mapped) to y / M- q) M: P$ w6 x+ h$ v( }% ^f0(x) f prime x / f dash x / the (¯rst) derivative of f with respect to x 8 u6 ~# G( E; \0 |f00(x) f double{prime x / f double{dash x / the second derivative of f with \5 j0 F8 \0 @8 Erespect to x; ~* y0 x2 E9 i1 u6 O Z% M/ A' [
f000(x) f triple{prime x / f triple{dash x / the third derivative of f with respect ; c+ j8 |7 P8 d8 l" m& [3 uto x( _; R- j3 X6 d+ K
f(4)(x) f four x / the fourth derivative of f with respect to x4 z6 _9 @- F% A1 W8 A6 N! |7 q
@f 5 G3 w7 {* ?9 S6 \- ~" \- R@x1 " f) F9 k+ y! c/ ?: k2 o! {- ~the partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 , t& G3 Q3 p( D1 p@2f7 X% b0 D$ q6 b3 f% |8 {
@x213 N, Q0 `2 c( n# m+ ^$ @4 X, Q
the second partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1/ n' N3 g5 _2 v
Z - y1 @& I% K& }7 i; E0 y% ^: C1 4 l7 J: Q+ ?( @0 : S6 }( Q- C$ o* c& Othe integral from zero to in¯nity1 Y# x5 t+ H# j& B
lim 5 `$ F1 F, h% b: a& qx!04 c" \; j/ r7 O( Q
the limit as x approaches zero ; \& [ V4 {) _7 z2 plim 5 A& d" |; _. G' U, m& Qx!+0 1 O- A4 s% B y0 }the limit as x approaches zero from above " R- u3 a5 y5 T3 slim+ L" I& w2 t" M# h% X
x!¡0 + H Q- O, Y% _the limit as x approaches zero from below4 R5 N9 w7 `; J6 k
loge y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y 1 U, R# C7 X) C( e5 l0 xln y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y" ~2 u% b7 A5 S7 i2 P' I$ w3 m
Individual mathematicians often have their own way of pronouncing mathematical expressions" i. {; J2 Q0 z* h& ?
and in many cases there is no generally accepted \correct" pronunciation.* L7 l" f2 A" n5 g; @2 J
Distinctions made in writing are often not made explicit in speech; thus the sounds fx may( g0 o" o7 F' x: @: Y+ J' E1 q
be interpreted as any of: fx, f(x), fx, FX, FX, F¡¡X!. The di®erence is usually made clear- ~* }/ `# `; A; y1 e" i* V
by the context; it is only when confusion may occur, or where he/she wishes to emphasise( }7 d; z: i$ @8 y) W- L+ y
the point, that the mathematician will use the longer forms: f multiplied by x, the function $ y* h& ?/ x. _0 qf of x, f subscript x, line FX, the length of the segment FX, vector FX.. ~1 m+ O# ?& U0 s
Similarly, a mathematician is unlikely to make any distinction in speech (except sometimes . Z8 C" H2 g; `. M' {8 U0 r& ma di®erence in intonation or length of pauses) between pairs such as the following: ( q1 a' _! C0 L# L% e* G) L$ yx + (y + z) and (x + y) + z C8 P/ D x C6 Hpax + b and pax + b + k, ^4 L7 p0 N. V2 i# l+ ban ¡ 1 and an¡1- l1 R9 M) W+ l, y1 L, a
The primary reference has been David Hall with Tim Bowyer, Nucleus, English for Science " m9 r" Z$ d. |; Wand Technology, Mathematics, Longman 1980. Glen Anderson and Matti Vuorinen have+ U" Y1 [5 x6 v- @; Y
given good comments and supplements. , N$ ~5 o9 J; ?5 [% I3