Pronunciation of mathematical expressions . |& J- q* @* y7 d/ _The pronunciations of the most common mathematical expressions are given in the list ) r: Q$ n! ^* i9 C0 i! obelow. In general, the shortest versions are preferred (unless greater precision is necessary).. Y" t* ]4 O$ a4 B+ p6 z
1. Logic6 R* Y( q( X+ a0 a$ ~0 c
9 there exists6 n4 w9 [5 o# r* B; k4 `7 Y
8 for all9 k0 z5 x5 }; M4 R4 |$ S( Q" `4 g
p ) q p implies q / if p, then q: j0 B, E5 m2 _: N: o7 ~) `
p , q p if and only if q /p is equivalent to q / p and q are equivalent # A! j# v& @ _8 W2. Sets) {' R- q+ y2 R4 q
x 2 A x belongs to A / x is an element (or a member) of A) C7 |9 K6 u7 C' r4 q
x =2 A x does not belong to A / x is not an element (or a member) of A ; V! J' j, t* _3 uA ½ B A is contained in B / A is a subset of B * {0 q$ b# {9 h& F# Q% ]/ d! OA ¾ B A contains B / B is a subset of A - ^, }% h' R% n1 {& IA \ B A cap B / A meet B / A intersection B, t/ g# T' k* a) x( W$ K" {9 B
A [ B A cup B / A join B / A union B+ M9 N8 y4 |* G& u7 C$ S
A n B A minus B / the di®erence between A and B0 D7 i! `0 D3 z3 u' I* B
A £ B A cross B / the cartesian product of A and B ; M, ]' H+ x1 W1 Q0 M5 G. `* Y3. Real numbers4 u1 i$ p$ Q, B9 l2 h8 ^1 U
x + 1 x plus one0 o% i0 ~9 @% R6 z" [) c
x ¡ 1 x minus one% [3 {6 o) Q, @1 j" X# o& \
x § 1 x plus or minus one! H! j" [+ x* |1 w/ @3 @+ i/ A! m
xy xy / x multiplied by y $ i M; e2 n/ F0 l" s(x ¡ y)(x + y) x minus y, x plus y( W7 q- t0 n8 y5 \1 K* d; G3 |: c4 k
x 1 ?) D) y' h2 r$ e" vy: H) U+ v. w# {3 e4 `
x over y % _! `% m) i% H+ w= the equals sign . E; e4 R5 y0 c& m8 w; U5 [x = 5 x equals 5 / x is equal to 50 ?2 |: ]3 N% j
x 6= 5 x (is) not equal to 5 2 K7 w; R/ E" i' V0 O U/ M1 W k# A7 l/ G4 ]3 W$ m/ m
x ´ y x is equivalent to (or identical with) y/ r5 i0 `1 y9 }) m0 V" c E
x 6´ y x is not equivalent to (or identical with) y $ l" Y0 l! }) w ^2 T/ L" k" l Bx > y x is greater than y+ A( o/ l* r/ c" W! M. l4 Q6 Y+ y
x ¸ y x is greater than or equal to y 5 k/ R. E* @6 J' x6 y- ]" _x < y x is less than y . S& e4 p: u8 j$ D: S ?x · y x is less than or equal to y9 e E, r7 Z5 J8 B7 _
0 < x < 1 zero is less than x is less than 1 0 B5 x/ Q9 y, Z+ S) o0 · x · 1 zero is less than or equal to x is less than or equal to 1 8 Z% ?# \3 c7 K2 e2 ijxj mod x / modulus x * f2 p$ t, N! ~x2 x squared / x (raised) to the power 2: ]: a& d* `/ C% m
x3 x cubed 0 o, N# v+ |2 M& }x4 x to the fourth / x to the power four7 X, V/ A' h$ [& ~; \. Q7 T
xn x to the nth / x to the power n# v w/ u4 v! g' x; c. {
x¡n x to the (power) minus n+ n; G- k5 R7 l1 A" n% W
px (square) root x / the square root of x ! N2 U; M+ B5 @6 cp3 x cube root (of) x- D3 w) b3 V! U# \7 N4 H
p4 x fourth root (of) x! |- h+ d7 o/ ]# d
npx nth root (of) x2 Z; I+ g3 E! \& G- V7 q1 i3 E
(x + y)2 x plus y all squared x+ z: L1 w9 |
³x f% {# K9 O; `8 n- G7 x" ~$ T3 ~
y * K1 s6 p0 `0 Z' Z. ], T# a$ u´2 7 h' L2 {0 \6 e5 H, Q" |x over y all squared ' u( V9 l( z4 x7 cn! n factorial6 \" {9 f. w) G3 e8 Q
^x x hat ! Z, H ~# K2 }' d¹x x bar : D* ~4 ~( K! r$ D$ Q* p' _) ^~x x tilde0 N7 ?' V9 A5 w2 f- n1 @
xi xi / x subscript i / x su±x i / x sub i' F, P: S- G% D: {
Xn/ F. i3 Y r( }
i=1 3 O2 B/ p, N' Z [; G% yai the sum from i equals one to n ai / the sum as i runs from 1 to n of the ai' N& o N: ~7 v$ O6 p$ S1 t
4. Linear algebra$ Q5 M4 Z; V: T& j, X9 ]
kxk the norm (or modulus) of x* O& Y1 A8 s1 H/ Z& J4 N+ R
O¡¡!A OA / vector OA 3 h: g. l8 N6 C& sOA OA / the length of the segment OA0 z( p/ w* Q8 J; g2 A) O
AT A transpose / the transpose of A( ^ K# U \" W5 z. Q' J
A¡1 A inverse / the inverse of A1 k8 n& F& r; \3 m( O
2( f. p3 J9 J; R
5. Functions& h; n; S1 m+ x0 g6 Z, }' ~
f(x) fx / f of x / the function f of x ! q" ^9 A- {3 U8 {, I+ `5 K6 z3 F3 [6 Z% mf : S ! T a function f from S to T 6 q6 V$ o% B1 j- o1 V; dx 7! y x maps to y / x is sent (or mapped) to y * U6 K# x! D( E) C; ^f0(x) f prime x / f dash x / the (¯rst) derivative of f with respect to x , ~1 i) H3 A$ If00(x) f double{prime x / f double{dash x / the second derivative of f with 6 _) M0 Q8 x; y% Orespect to x3 R+ v9 F* E* p
f000(x) f triple{prime x / f triple{dash x / the third derivative of f with respect) ~. f5 U f! k% _/ Z& E: [# @; q# E
to x! y/ ?/ L. \+ l( m! L
f(4)(x) f four x / the fourth derivative of f with respect to x9 t% b& X7 C6 Z; [2 K
@f) r3 L: i% Y4 N7 m+ X
@x1 8 ~2 V9 h# K7 U: O) M fthe partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1) n2 ?& a8 a, e% z' b' b
@2f ( u7 B/ i- S% I@x21 4 T- E) O& L- A* C. lthe second partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 ' P+ `( D. Z xZ1 S: f0 g1 p; g. j/ X
1 8 I/ v& {$ l, ]; B0 1 j3 \+ r( S* ]* c6 Z: K- jthe integral from zero to in¯nity& q3 q1 X+ Y* o% j) O
lim% j/ p$ n/ }8 j8 U
x!0 * {# M" C# d% Z* o2 Y4 ]the limit as x approaches zero0 Q* i; I+ E0 u& B' R9 @
lim4 E# V, n7 O4 g6 J6 ]$ |. z4 l
x!+0 6 S2 X" Y; n ~$ a" L5 r( Q9 }the limit as x approaches zero from above% o+ ~/ H" Y0 ?( M& l: i
lim ( U* Y5 C5 B) A: Rx!¡01 O; I" J# k- T" z
the limit as x approaches zero from below# t1 L1 e: I7 K: U; Z& X' x
loge y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y% l, w! @! c+ h$ _
ln y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y ; g! @# t; M( `% L& [Individual mathematicians often have their own way of pronouncing mathematical expressions 5 a' b3 p- |5 k/ C% Cand in many cases there is no generally accepted \correct" pronunciation. . ?7 {& [8 n- ?/ Y* \7 D( }, O- ADistinctions made in writing are often not made explicit in speech; thus the sounds fx may 2 y! ~: ]. u1 P2 C! Pbe interpreted as any of: fx, f(x), fx, FX, FX, F¡¡X!. The di®erence is usually made clear, o3 N& d! M% p
by the context; it is only when confusion may occur, or where he/she wishes to emphasise 1 X, O/ E) _( u" uthe point, that the mathematician will use the longer forms: f multiplied by x, the function ! U T1 J; v' P6 U0 |! M) f+ sf of x, f subscript x, line FX, the length of the segment FX, vector FX. 4 y+ I" s4 x) g; E, B# mSimilarly, a mathematician is unlikely to make any distinction in speech (except sometimes 2 }& U- E/ b) {( wa di®erence in intonation or length of pauses) between pairs such as the following: 0 C, U; L4 v8 {7 w$ P3 fx + (y + z) and (x + y) + z 5 v# u8 y- V3 U/ bpax + b and pax + b 1 [( d/ B- o9 Man ¡ 1 and an¡1. R& H0 s) L2 S3 `7 }& ^
The primary reference has been David Hall with Tim Bowyer, Nucleus, English for Science , V- `4 I& `! P' H8 ~) q4 D9 yand Technology, Mathematics, Longman 1980. Glen Anderson and Matti Vuorinen have s3 d* |! M: c6 k( G8 Z
given good comments and supplements.' X6 ^5 M% o" s+ ~/ C! ]
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