Pronunciation of mathematical expressions0 e+ A4 s$ Z1 S; r
The pronunciations of the most common mathematical expressions are given in the list# @/ G) f' A0 A
below. In general, the shortest versions are preferred (unless greater precision is necessary)." _- }( F k' s* P: |1 J2 N9 j8 q! M
1. Logic . ~, d$ P$ s5 t" K& |, v9 there exists( r* Q" P7 j, R/ Q
8 for all - g/ l7 P$ O" pp ) q p implies q / if p, then q - G, [2 i( I) R1 W# I% Ip , q p if and only if q /p is equivalent to q / p and q are equivalent , V7 I! [* l' o+ e1 ?, }* o2. Sets ; i2 L' G1 c( _ M' [x 2 A x belongs to A / x is an element (or a member) of A8 C9 I0 |2 W' D) r* Z/ `
x =2 A x does not belong to A / x is not an element (or a member) of A+ j* ^4 c. E0 l3 r. e
A ½ B A is contained in B / A is a subset of B + j" T& _/ _$ g7 v) S2 yA ¾ B A contains B / B is a subset of A $ n7 F: J9 S v' G/ s+ ]A \ B A cap B / A meet B / A intersection B8 g8 g& ?$ _, E5 r5 K, A3 [
A [ B A cup B / A join B / A union B 3 |; k) [+ e0 JA n B A minus B / the di®erence between A and B . F) L- x$ s. Y8 a; A3 JA £ B A cross B / the cartesian product of A and B! [( y/ S j0 h$ U, t+ c) c1 L& L
3. Real numbers 8 d$ l9 v8 e# x% X5 [6 i; Rx + 1 x plus one 5 U1 ~# s8 Q- D8 O% o& A9 rx ¡ 1 x minus one1 f' m. @* O) L' a6 n
x § 1 x plus or minus one& u Y, |: R1 l# ]2 j. U: y& a
xy xy / x multiplied by y + C0 d$ G7 n5 c3 Q(x ¡ y)(x + y) x minus y, x plus y " B& C; d* ^$ o! J( \x7 T( a1 t$ y) {' c% A' t- K1 J, ?
y% m. ~& m! q: V
x over y / I: \4 q3 D8 ~' a- M= the equals sign' R; e1 O6 i( T7 Z5 V K4 A
x = 5 x equals 5 / x is equal to 5 + w0 e! a0 r# { J' k# ?" Gx 6= 5 x (is) not equal to 5 ' M( H* w) H. K1- k# U# S _$ [
x ´ y x is equivalent to (or identical with) y 1 ~, G* V& o# B; sx 6´ y x is not equivalent to (or identical with) y + `8 N1 ~. A& q# Y- j% u: r" Cx > y x is greater than y7 a/ E* D e6 t/ D
x ¸ y x is greater than or equal to y: H9 w* N) H& P& c, u
x < y x is less than y; Y) r, f8 f" E: J' [' q
x · y x is less than or equal to y ! T9 S! R+ Q0 \ k0 < x < 1 zero is less than x is less than 1 5 v9 O9 t% C; I; L4 }0 · x · 1 zero is less than or equal to x is less than or equal to 1; ]: [+ |0 D* J5 E
jxj mod x / modulus x # @# ?+ @: d& _2 t1 I8 dx2 x squared / x (raised) to the power 2# _$ {/ ~5 a) C; C$ l: x
x3 x cubed w- T. ?$ l! Xx4 x to the fourth / x to the power four; G* ~7 W( ]% h1 k# D! M1 `' h+ ]( O
xn x to the nth / x to the power n 4 a4 e' \ C) hx¡n x to the (power) minus n . k" D7 G& N8 [: Y; Q, Xpx (square) root x / the square root of x 0 c, s& b8 w, r0 K1 D: mp3 x cube root (of) x ( S( y6 ]" W& k8 Y+ x. s" fp4 x fourth root (of) x $ v9 m' O4 ~1 Y- xnpx nth root (of) x * W. V/ }/ V; c3 L2 G(x + y)2 x plus y all squared! E, m" R3 o. S8 v' [$ n1 y3 g2 m
³x6 y I# |3 l, w
y ( S, s4 G2 M2 p" N. b2 p´2 9 x5 o# {/ ^( K6 M5 s+ v' K3 Q. Mx over y all squared 0 x( w7 Y+ C# D* xn! n factorial " Y# e5 |: S# l5 K+ [8 g5 Q" U. E^x x hat 1 K3 H5 @% G4 `! C: M! S. D3 G, i¹x x bar, g) o; j' Z8 E
~x x tilde 9 @5 d: `+ d3 P3 H; F( K) Mxi xi / x subscript i / x su±x i / x sub i ( Y3 S1 Y* m2 L( S! j" v+ oXn0 W* m' n. F B% b+ F2 B
i=1+ o% }2 B: u4 Z% Y, u+ |$ [
ai the sum from i equals one to n ai / the sum as i runs from 1 to n of the ai + S7 P$ |7 @2 P2 B5 f) k \4. Linear algebra- X, }8 M! J. ]* v0 m
kxk the norm (or modulus) of x 5 O$ k& L- Z& o& M4 [: }6 IO¡¡!A OA / vector OA + i2 c3 B, {6 Y* Z. KOA OA / the length of the segment OA 5 z3 X8 t9 @! G& [) f8 P# h# P6 [6 yAT A transpose / the transpose of A + n: d* B7 U3 y, c# IA¡1 A inverse / the inverse of A 9 {( b2 Z, _ C" K! Q+ k9 m0 p21 \0 \' R+ G9 c# i2 w6 g
5. Functions 5 q1 @5 e8 D6 O+ N( c5 p# Wf(x) fx / f of x / the function f of x$ j; E8 X2 b+ R9 s) y) ?0 E! F5 N
f : S ! T a function f from S to T( V8 e+ }; s% D1 @$ |. v n0 d/ ]
x 7! y x maps to y / x is sent (or mapped) to y l, M% m$ X' ~$ ~0 l
f0(x) f prime x / f dash x / the (¯rst) derivative of f with respect to x2 \6 v t. V/ }1 h3 ]/ Q$ l- L
f00(x) f double{prime x / f double{dash x / the second derivative of f with4 y7 X2 ?. |5 m9 g* q( |; w
respect to x& k9 e, V5 S L0 _0 k6 K# M
f000(x) f triple{prime x / f triple{dash x / the third derivative of f with respect1 q* {, C) F, C, q% d
to x 0 w$ I6 Z g) q3 t Af(4)(x) f four x / the fourth derivative of f with respect to x/ W; _8 }3 f4 N7 ^! x {9 j
@f % X+ f$ g0 |. |1 ?$ v@x1) D4 H+ A! X& o" q4 X4 }, c' i
the partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 7 p, B# Q4 s" v3 o; Q. ]) _) y@2f * Z4 y/ e% c- j7 B$ b@x21 ! j& n/ T" O6 y* u1 u1 fthe second partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 3 G' x6 x6 G o! k8 E* zZ - i+ p! C7 A% U/ \! q, P1- @4 B# n" A; F& Z' s
0 " b+ {+ q- C/ q. ethe integral from zero to in¯nity7 x& o4 t; h' ]% F
lim , n3 F0 @4 T) K# lx!0 ' j: b: ]1 U6 T1 t4 V0 tthe limit as x approaches zero 9 [+ N( }- e. `lim _4 c6 Q; Q: s& ^' |
x!+0 - U7 o, x2 A) V4 n: v- Dthe limit as x approaches zero from above 4 w( B4 z( O( w/ Z) u6 Ylim# I( G/ o1 l, ]4 }. n$ v+ w/ f' [! A
x!¡0) s4 D" k: k* x7 m0 P
the limit as x approaches zero from below, M @$ t# K4 G. l: X
loge y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y & b# f9 J; R# n; R T6 l) }. O6 |ln y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y7 l1 G( R' q+ a1 |4 J* t1 l
Individual mathematicians often have their own way of pronouncing mathematical expressions # a% t- Q) P- t. Z" u; [9 Band in many cases there is no generally accepted \correct" pronunciation. + r" a% Z$ D$ ^, `* mDistinctions made in writing are often not made explicit in speech; thus the sounds fx may+ r: N- m! e7 M* G( _
be interpreted as any of: fx, f(x), fx, FX, FX, F¡¡X!. The di®erence is usually made clear 2 e% s1 }: l: F# f$ Pby the context; it is only when confusion may occur, or where he/she wishes to emphasise! ^9 Y6 t! k6 T
the point, that the mathematician will use the longer forms: f multiplied by x, the function j3 }7 q4 C1 ?' U+ c- u, b7 e, rf of x, f subscript x, line FX, the length of the segment FX, vector FX. . y; ]- X; r# N: p. Z! f+ c- qSimilarly, a mathematician is unlikely to make any distinction in speech (except sometimes& Q$ I! d/ I( A0 T7 [; P) a- X
a di®erence in intonation or length of pauses) between pairs such as the following: 4 ~# J% K& ]! t* fx + (y + z) and (x + y) + z/ p- K. B# \' P% K
pax + b and pax + b * s5 O4 K4 V9 F2 |4 man ¡ 1 and an¡1 * F3 A9 k7 s) i! z6 RThe primary reference has been David Hall with Tim Bowyer, Nucleus, English for Science j0 o* o, j8 F) L
and Technology, Mathematics, Longman 1980. Glen Anderson and Matti Vuorinen have d: `. c0 M9 X1 m$ p; mgiven good comments and supplements. # z4 o, m, D7 t/ e3