Pronunciation of mathematical expressions( n9 q8 a) s- \4 H% F; o
The pronunciations of the most common mathematical expressions are given in the list & d! G: u0 _( O$ N( lbelow. In general, the shortest versions are preferred (unless greater precision is necessary). - F: [/ b2 X7 X/ Z# S* A7 r1. Logic, k/ O1 O# y& ?# }+ X; I
9 there exists9 K. h( ~8 I: Z" v
8 for all3 p( B: h0 f# c0 Q0 T
p ) q p implies q / if p, then q ) l& U3 _8 q: N5 }p , q p if and only if q /p is equivalent to q / p and q are equivalent% ~ Q# D2 n7 o% I8 o1 Z
2. Sets ) y, e( n( N$ I2 b& o* I1 jx 2 A x belongs to A / x is an element (or a member) of A8 ^8 l" d; M0 d- W
x =2 A x does not belong to A / x is not an element (or a member) of A' I4 M1 p; Y, E A
A ½ B A is contained in B / A is a subset of B 5 r* V1 L- F- ~; D$ d3 @: qA ¾ B A contains B / B is a subset of A0 ?- p* F% M. C- @
A \ B A cap B / A meet B / A intersection B! _6 _* u6 |5 k2 u, y* J
A [ B A cup B / A join B / A union B% {) F. U2 e1 c
A n B A minus B / the di®erence between A and B! J, \! X: ~ n* M9 g$ G; C
A £ B A cross B / the cartesian product of A and B% I' _( n, ` `. n
3. Real numbers 2 Z D7 h6 O+ ]x + 1 x plus one, B" j0 p3 C+ ~: N4 B; C0 n
x ¡ 1 x minus one: d1 }. Y$ b* e/ M) ~
x § 1 x plus or minus one6 l# ?+ L, U# k' G& p
xy xy / x multiplied by y9 ^4 }0 B, |) u) _
(x ¡ y)(x + y) x minus y, x plus y ( T" `8 |" h4 L+ ^& ]x : d+ E1 _; ?/ ?' ly 8 r* ]9 ^1 B1 U: i- Y6 c5 Ax over y 2 y4 C6 Q, n9 `2 R= the equals sign + D3 @9 @6 R6 C6 u, V. M% Bx = 5 x equals 5 / x is equal to 5 & M/ `; ^; k1 P6 Ux 6= 5 x (is) not equal to 53 f, G+ q/ P) ^7 T( Z- i" u
1 " b8 |, V5 I- Y, b- s! qx ´ y x is equivalent to (or identical with) y 9 Q8 C5 n; u& p9 v T9 mx 6´ y x is not equivalent to (or identical with) y 4 m7 q; k; M7 x6 @x > y x is greater than y / m' a( R6 B" N ~6 @/ `# E1 xx ¸ y x is greater than or equal to y : ^2 L$ u& s7 ^% w! H8 C" @x < y x is less than y . v; J( z* S' Y- i7 Y6 B& \x · y x is less than or equal to y 3 ]: l& p% x4 q2 o1 g5 O6 A7 O1 W* y1 t0 < x < 1 zero is less than x is less than 1 6 s. L+ {0 W+ Z; z2 l0 · x · 1 zero is less than or equal to x is less than or equal to 1' H: @. q9 g. o5 \- Q1 O: C0 Q
jxj mod x / modulus x8 [" l; X% b- G) q. ?' G
x2 x squared / x (raised) to the power 2 % n7 j4 o8 A4 r6 p7 gx3 x cubed# F) x9 Y6 O. y( y, g9 D
x4 x to the fourth / x to the power four % M; L3 S6 e3 w& A9 I# t6 S' Q2 Exn x to the nth / x to the power n2 w% F" G% \6 O$ R5 {/ ^
x¡n x to the (power) minus n6 N/ v" l& R8 a' k
px (square) root x / the square root of x/ _2 l- G" H; r+ B6 y4 h+ {
p3 x cube root (of) x$ g' Y$ d8 Z/ M! q1 k
p4 x fourth root (of) x7 N+ T* Y( k5 V* J
npx nth root (of) x6 [; w' q7 L; r( O8 c
(x + y)2 x plus y all squared , G# h# w/ e5 q3 u* C³x 9 W9 f2 z5 \- Xy' \. G% b/ \& R" {4 t
´27 J0 j" G! O, R
x over y all squared 2 c6 d8 y. ?$ O/ {2 z2 gn! n factorial , d6 ]3 x+ W y p9 L# J( A^x x hat. L# p g$ |( `: J; q8 F
¹x x bar # K0 j7 h+ C0 u& ?3 ~. J~x x tilde / F6 [" X% U( e# |& Jxi xi / x subscript i / x su±x i / x sub i 9 @5 d+ K; i: \0 z7 L/ SXn 0 {* N/ \& X- |' E3 t" S5 Vi=14 V/ Z: o, g& V
ai the sum from i equals one to n ai / the sum as i runs from 1 to n of the ai+ ~# o) m# c3 `$ W. ?# p! q
4. Linear algebra$ h( v Z! i# j# M3 x: T
kxk the norm (or modulus) of x $ {7 k/ Y4 x, e; e! @O¡¡!A OA / vector OA 6 S! F4 q5 u0 {4 E' q+ n, O. FOA OA / the length of the segment OA2 w- Y V& b" U, r4 k; Y; t7 M
AT A transpose / the transpose of A Y9 Y5 z6 J! n1 O5 B8 B3 \" BA¡1 A inverse / the inverse of A $ Q3 C9 I3 |, A5 d& v2 : I+ {' ~* x( ]) ?; S' ?; g1 v8 |/ S5. Functions : U( R: C% ? C6 h& Nf(x) fx / f of x / the function f of x 7 f# P5 e: E0 E, r! T$ @" af : S ! T a function f from S to T . P- L* `. V# A+ o. Cx 7! y x maps to y / x is sent (or mapped) to y. N8 s4 X# z% C( a
f0(x) f prime x / f dash x / the (¯rst) derivative of f with respect to x I* y7 G1 Z1 L' R" \f00(x) f double{prime x / f double{dash x / the second derivative of f with 4 G7 U9 ]8 g+ C0 l. U3 _respect to x' z/ W( D, x9 J% G, G+ o
f000(x) f triple{prime x / f triple{dash x / the third derivative of f with respect0 w: y" _. N. a T
to x/ _% f! q% W2 ]. H0 @2 e
f(4)(x) f four x / the fourth derivative of f with respect to x5 z) K/ {& s/ k0 }% I8 J
@f * p }- s" h% Y6 r5 Z3 e@x1" c0 w2 j( Z, K# J
the partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 , j- q4 D$ O! R/ M+ E@2f # X2 z! S" P" m" D8 T2 e/ G@x21: K! U: c' s9 u6 k( B4 ^- n
the second partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 5 E) R& h) p( ?+ e' CZ8 Q( i) I7 X2 ?- a& t
1; R) a' ?; H/ Q7 P; E# U0 J2 ^
05 E9 O. `1 V, ]" b: {
the integral from zero to in¯nity 0 I: L& D" N! L4 [ alim9 s0 ^7 Y$ {# ~; W- ~) D
x!0! X. e( Z. S; r% b3 ?* Y. `. p
the limit as x approaches zero% [8 f, m/ M6 p9 g
lim " D1 j7 |: f! `( Jx!+0( L, o$ }3 v: n
the limit as x approaches zero from above $ h: e& D; n4 F8 j/ N% ]. d$ blim* Q) p5 q; n# S5 b3 y0 c% z
x!¡0 % q- T) @4 B: k$ M" Z! S- uthe limit as x approaches zero from below1 \7 p7 I& p9 b/ n( ?
loge y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y Q5 K& x9 v, w' L- W5 }- \
ln y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y * H- D: _2 p, `0 D, @+ M. OIndividual mathematicians often have their own way of pronouncing mathematical expressions 6 w) m% Y' b' F# Z) T% Wand in many cases there is no generally accepted \correct" pronunciation.# H$ l6 A) |* o$ I0 `, G
Distinctions made in writing are often not made explicit in speech; thus the sounds fx may/ Q' ~' V f) s; |, V
be interpreted as any of: fx, f(x), fx, FX, FX, F¡¡X!. The di®erence is usually made clear - n3 I' k% J+ x% o0 t' {# ~by the context; it is only when confusion may occur, or where he/she wishes to emphasise- Y+ m( f2 Y: X% r; N/ J0 ~3 ~
the point, that the mathematician will use the longer forms: f multiplied by x, the function. H; W, e5 T$ u# R: n5 L$ y% j, [6 H. ?+ l
f of x, f subscript x, line FX, the length of the segment FX, vector FX.# S' t) s3 |! ^; g
Similarly, a mathematician is unlikely to make any distinction in speech (except sometimes, e6 y3 ?0 x) {4 v, V( K! e
a di®erence in intonation or length of pauses) between pairs such as the following:2 H% \) Y; S- b! i
x + (y + z) and (x + y) + z G3 U( W4 v# e7 s: zpax + b and pax + b- D7 x9 P2 U! M) q: n
an ¡ 1 and an¡1 3 z, a* x0 L: `The primary reference has been David Hall with Tim Bowyer, Nucleus, English for Science* c3 R5 E6 U# e X! `
and Technology, Mathematics, Longman 1980. Glen Anderson and Matti Vuorinen have7 p7 L0 x3 G$ z: g: ~0 n! c
given good comments and supplements.0 }9 m7 J6 i' C3 x8 p N" d6 A
3