Pronunciation of mathematical expressions% d. J1 L& E# m
The pronunciations of the most common mathematical expressions are given in the list ( G) e" j* z; s0 B1 lbelow. In general, the shortest versions are preferred (unless greater precision is necessary).3 s: r a; Y/ h
1. Logic - e w) Y) c5 n C: G) G; Y# o0 j9 there exists ( N. U' F0 R# @1 h9 G8 d' O8 for all p$ |4 X" A D1 Jp ) q p implies q / if p, then q0 w( z- S' y, d$ O( ]" W) P
p , q p if and only if q /p is equivalent to q / p and q are equivalent 0 u; e* A& j% r2. Sets ( s; ~( v# P: v/ I/ h. \x 2 A x belongs to A / x is an element (or a member) of A / M4 c( ~. M ^" fx =2 A x does not belong to A / x is not an element (or a member) of A # z! L; l: s% c7 m# l0 W- a% }A ½ B A is contained in B / A is a subset of B ; b2 M; o# W, }A ¾ B A contains B / B is a subset of A8 Z- K9 Y6 L0 \3 E
A \ B A cap B / A meet B / A intersection B $ h5 z, b. ^4 iA [ B A cup B / A join B / A union B ( S2 N9 D4 B+ c: I- I3 k8 oA n B A minus B / the di®erence between A and B0 p5 ]8 L3 v3 T! A9 D/ \* [& h2 p
A £ B A cross B / the cartesian product of A and B 4 Z8 M' C: A- Y3. Real numbers 9 T4 N/ x/ e) R- @9 D1 Nx + 1 x plus one+ E" W' J( p" {9 x
x ¡ 1 x minus one # ^5 b: F/ z( j. px § 1 x plus or minus one9 S# J4 R4 ?8 r8 z" _0 l# [
xy xy / x multiplied by y + C: Q5 H" Y# V0 }(x ¡ y)(x + y) x minus y, x plus y# E' w3 J( H3 ] B/ V8 Y; s% g
x% j4 p% T: C/ A2 S' d Z s# f j
y % A7 C4 x- h& d* O0 J8 N; qx over y! O# @6 c/ l, A$ T) R/ K
= the equals sign% X, u$ t9 J' h4 V
x = 5 x equals 5 / x is equal to 5+ [+ p1 g5 p: p3 o' X
x 6= 5 x (is) not equal to 5 . m, I7 _0 N$ m5 Z1 l v9 R+ u1 O- ~8 F# j' P, Q) h
x ´ y x is equivalent to (or identical with) y / ]0 J8 B% I8 t1 Fx 6´ y x is not equivalent to (or identical with) y8 c. n. f6 s: J/ a9 ?1 u
x > y x is greater than y 9 q7 `: y8 O+ vx ¸ y x is greater than or equal to y * x8 `& \' N+ x/ y1 m7 Ox < y x is less than y 9 V1 o0 y. a h' g: v+ ox · y x is less than or equal to y " X; x5 v" c b" I6 J0 < x < 1 zero is less than x is less than 1) K0 g# [# w: Q$ D4 H3 U
0 · x · 1 zero is less than or equal to x is less than or equal to 1. s1 j- T9 ]- ]' B5 k- C
jxj mod x / modulus x! {( i; z- _1 p& K' K6 ^
x2 x squared / x (raised) to the power 20 \) @0 z" w: X0 A+ i: h4 x' X
x3 x cubed 4 e) v9 r p, v/ h! v5 A" `5 Gx4 x to the fourth / x to the power four ) h( n) @, A9 V: p; Ixn x to the nth / x to the power n# Q% v7 X1 _$ _) I, ~
x¡n x to the (power) minus n $ r! J2 V- R( @. cpx (square) root x / the square root of x # Z* V, I! [$ r! [$ f a' hp3 x cube root (of) x f, b; g' o1 ~1 }% z. O
p4 x fourth root (of) x% [7 g/ ?- C% c7 A7 e& b
npx nth root (of) x/ u9 W" [9 d( o* i, U* y- H
(x + y)2 x plus y all squared 4 M' w9 y, `* x0 I³x 2 G) m# y V" p6 k0 hy/ Y( `/ k$ K8 O% W$ ?
´2 5 v# P; ~8 O" K; G9 D2 y* E m: Cx over y all squared , _! T4 M, F7 ?! T+ x/ `$ gn! n factorial " W7 H }) w" Y3 R^x x hat 0 ^, ]2 C. f+ W3 ~& u- W @¹x x bar 7 \( x. H7 q$ x8 m4 n8 [~x x tilde ' s; b \+ J2 r) D% \! f( \ Jxi xi / x subscript i / x su±x i / x sub i. H$ [& d; F2 A6 F1 B# v
Xn# g6 F* s# V, T% d+ U7 r
i=1: Q& G& W* W( S+ R- G
ai the sum from i equals one to n ai / the sum as i runs from 1 to n of the ai+ c& U: h H# L% |4 {" ^$ h
4. Linear algebra6 M! ]% W# q: `3 J5 t/ \0 O. E( M
kxk the norm (or modulus) of x @5 k9 v) D' `7 b, Z k ^O¡¡!A OA / vector OA 5 Y9 D/ `% ~+ V/ V; J Q( e+ X3 nOA OA / the length of the segment OA 4 O; d# g. q& nAT A transpose / the transpose of A4 \) O' d9 W' A+ U! l
A¡1 A inverse / the inverse of A 4 Z6 M9 |8 C f+ F/ e/ m2 p) A2! `" K$ V$ z3 p1 i& F
5. Functions; t5 L/ E0 X) g
f(x) fx / f of x / the function f of x. x: v) Z' `6 p/ j i, j
f : S ! T a function f from S to T: X @+ o8 _1 m+ ^- m
x 7! y x maps to y / x is sent (or mapped) to y . a0 T2 W& X3 m+ wf0(x) f prime x / f dash x / the (¯rst) derivative of f with respect to x 8 L. O2 D/ O8 if00(x) f double{prime x / f double{dash x / the second derivative of f with ' \2 d" M; J4 {" c/ y# y6 Frespect to x" }( \# M! y2 i) G' }4 p4 R
f000(x) f triple{prime x / f triple{dash x / the third derivative of f with respect - y3 b3 J. | o8 C3 {( F1 s2 J+ Rto x0 s( Z$ V5 J) i, S9 i4 J
f(4)(x) f four x / the fourth derivative of f with respect to x 7 Q2 u/ T6 o* z# ]0 S( O. Q@f 9 O& T- j/ o7 }4 O- |/ b- J@x1 ; C8 H8 a4 |. M0 P# M2 U* Zthe partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1' z7 a1 R2 h% u! B9 o$ |& ~
@2f $ W7 P+ G x6 ~ d x@x21/ s6 q5 C& C, ^( D( ?0 J
the second partial (derivative) of f with respect to x10 B; X1 ~7 q; y. t: y7 z
Z + G8 b, X& Q+ u( x. q1 N/ m) x1 D& e1 j( H9 v# T0 % k) ~1 f$ I$ S' ~& H. H1 ]the integral from zero to in¯nity 0 B9 A* Q, m9 h! L$ olim: S9 w: `; m& b7 z/ H5 a% O
x!0 7 _! t" \' K: U( \the limit as x approaches zero * [: _1 h. n' d3 P& i+ nlim & t" v6 q! d& C1 z7 a8 i$ ax!+0 9 {0 `5 M: Q) Q. J- othe limit as x approaches zero from above : Q0 l1 M' U+ ~7 p* b# U& x. Y, Jlim 5 Y8 o. r. U7 J2 Y( O, ux!¡0. V: D$ c9 w* X$ j* G3 ^5 |: }
the limit as x approaches zero from below4 {& p1 J ~. k# ^2 }' L, D6 q6 h% q9 ~# F
loge y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y " y+ m# H2 X& c6 ~ln y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y ]- l. ^7 _2 S; H6 U$ Z
Individual mathematicians often have their own way of pronouncing mathematical expressions 8 v( B8 J- e1 V" |) |2 |+ [and in many cases there is no generally accepted \correct" pronunciation.7 o8 U+ A' a/ m3 }6 w+ \
Distinctions made in writing are often not made explicit in speech; thus the sounds fx may. h7 L5 x6 ]' V7 w6 y6 e2 n" q3 O
be interpreted as any of: fx, f(x), fx, FX, FX, F¡¡X!. The di®erence is usually made clear; y4 T* i) Z1 X* l
by the context; it is only when confusion may occur, or where he/she wishes to emphasise 1 F% N* Z6 F rthe point, that the mathematician will use the longer forms: f multiplied by x, the function / `: n5 |3 w( W7 }f of x, f subscript x, line FX, the length of the segment FX, vector FX. " Y! r; q* I6 Q' V" kSimilarly, a mathematician is unlikely to make any distinction in speech (except sometimes 1 B0 J0 m4 o9 T1 _a di®erence in intonation or length of pauses) between pairs such as the following:& B0 a: \$ N: G
x + (y + z) and (x + y) + z * _& C4 M3 S' b; [% P2 tpax + b and pax + b ( l8 s1 p! a5 L6 Zan ¡ 1 and an¡17 ~7 H1 Z! e4 @7 T- M2 q; y$ r
The primary reference has been David Hall with Tim Bowyer, Nucleus, English for Science( z$ G( B' A8 G0 K ^
and Technology, Mathematics, Longman 1980. Glen Anderson and Matti Vuorinen have ! ~. F n* x+ X- i! H( y( Bgiven good comments and supplements. 2 @1 A; i8 r# W8 i2 G3