Pronunciation of mathematical expressions7 _9 r' q9 P: P3 \
The pronunciations of the most common mathematical expressions are given in the list* p0 S/ k+ y- w' y2 U4 x2 d, V
below. In general, the shortest versions are preferred (unless greater precision is necessary). * g# P, o; s o) v/ o# E1. Logic4 q$ w: S% b* d* u4 N% ^
9 there exists 8 l" f/ X9 s) N# |0 Q0 S4 B8 for all9 t) V& Q# S: l& l
p ) q p implies q / if p, then q% C! R- }. P0 K0 ^
p , q p if and only if q /p is equivalent to q / p and q are equivalent( W1 O3 B/ W, N- I
2. Sets2 [2 E" B7 Z9 I( ^% X
x 2 A x belongs to A / x is an element (or a member) of A6 v! i4 G+ {( |) K: N0 _1 U' ^
x =2 A x does not belong to A / x is not an element (or a member) of A 8 w7 I$ a5 t" e- HA ½ B A is contained in B / A is a subset of B5 e/ ^2 | x6 L2 y
A ¾ B A contains B / B is a subset of A. p6 {' O; e) }! t
A \ B A cap B / A meet B / A intersection B4 M, m* }$ j. O
A [ B A cup B / A join B / A union B , Z: B8 |) o, t, RA n B A minus B / the di®erence between A and B ( E. i! J( n5 l. X: U/ [A £ B A cross B / the cartesian product of A and B/ b1 {: Z& c7 j) ~# z. ~
3. Real numbers2 T/ D3 C3 S) Z- v7 J
x + 1 x plus one1 B1 d% w9 O' x0 W+ _( g
x ¡ 1 x minus one4 t6 S& O1 m( r y* y5 v3 H8 R
x § 1 x plus or minus one ! O8 r( Z3 ~, a3 |" Z% P6 G6 Txy xy / x multiplied by y 8 i8 t8 V- T6 ^& R(x ¡ y)(x + y) x minus y, x plus y* Z$ G% k* g, ^! c$ Y
x4 |: g! c' w) x( A$ f
y2 }+ C. V3 I i
x over y0 k# f+ G& `4 R! C
= the equals sign $ G8 v6 ~" n8 v/ C2 p C. |x = 5 x equals 5 / x is equal to 5 & c) @/ H! I- V$ ex 6= 5 x (is) not equal to 5 ' \" l) x0 K5 t& S3 u3 ^" N/ i1 4 D2 G2 b2 p2 D4 b) ^- Z1 _+ Sx ´ y x is equivalent to (or identical with) y' p Q6 Z, W8 `& W8 S
x 6´ y x is not equivalent to (or identical with) y ! o7 V5 N8 Q6 J6 Q& X! q* Qx > y x is greater than y6 K- j7 e/ a7 M
x ¸ y x is greater than or equal to y u' T' K; U R* Z# H) w
x < y x is less than y - K5 V% U0 r6 q, L7 K( Lx · y x is less than or equal to y( l" S f1 h$ p0 g
0 < x < 1 zero is less than x is less than 1 3 f/ j. h0 O$ L0 · x · 1 zero is less than or equal to x is less than or equal to 1 5 A+ n9 p: P$ jjxj mod x / modulus x / q) m* H: B: q5 f: P! g% G3 Y5 Ox2 x squared / x (raised) to the power 2- ~3 A/ p3 L) v& H$ g
x3 x cubed 8 e+ a* ~$ S- q( a8 Vx4 x to the fourth / x to the power four m# k" J" X( E% V% |- Wxn x to the nth / x to the power n3 a T% Y2 U0 j, [& _( I% e: I
x¡n x to the (power) minus n, E: R5 m% H( \7 j
px (square) root x / the square root of x 5 P: {+ ^4 O" v: G7 i* \9 C5 r6 dp3 x cube root (of) x . Q5 j# e; B$ M0 jp4 x fourth root (of) x 4 S2 q- o8 [& I. a5 H. d' Fnpx nth root (of) x $ |' D5 l% @: W* y }1 z+ n1 ?(x + y)2 x plus y all squared * @0 Y$ J# p! o' m³x1 G) j* p3 n. |) B2 \0 W
y , K9 ~7 a9 f6 c5 T5 s- D´21 P3 z0 ^( y5 v2 n
x over y all squared 7 z$ Z: P/ ? T: G. F9 n: cn! n factorial, L* h6 B- q" T {
^x x hat. V, I& d0 K. x& c% n, h! Z/ T3 `
¹x x bar: W2 t2 `) W* i
~x x tilde - C: e" ], ?3 |- ~. M: axi xi / x subscript i / x su±x i / x sub i - v2 ^( K4 }3 ^ c2 RXn" z( D8 {% c1 P, T( c7 P
i=1 " d+ c% o" J: @; d$ K% r# aai the sum from i equals one to n ai / the sum as i runs from 1 to n of the ai $ S# y. n: F9 i- M6 {4. Linear algebra: d, K2 N* V( O& }/ J, b1 J; t
kxk the norm (or modulus) of x2 C/ U F ~( n6 e9 O1 [0 }- R
O¡¡!A OA / vector OA* d5 ^4 @6 s# f5 d) ?. ~
OA OA / the length of the segment OA . w+ K9 i* _" ]7 ?. `( {3 FAT A transpose / the transpose of A ( ~$ G0 V. V+ e Q) e( r; f2 V( IA¡1 A inverse / the inverse of A 6 I) S/ i% P& N1 j; _2 4 X8 C3 L: B: R3 H3 [* }5. Functions ' Q5 ~9 }) r D% @$ g0 sf(x) fx / f of x / the function f of x , G ]8 ?; e% B4 S: t1 nf : S ! T a function f from S to T y9 b5 ~ \# C R& O0 J0 ~, Fx 7! y x maps to y / x is sent (or mapped) to y ; u7 q# f2 s( V q* _- of0(x) f prime x / f dash x / the (¯rst) derivative of f with respect to x 6 s! m8 S1 U- ~0 {6 G; Hf00(x) f double{prime x / f double{dash x / the second derivative of f with 0 T6 u" A: V( l; x* Nrespect to x& D$ s* z7 ?3 o, P
f000(x) f triple{prime x / f triple{dash x / the third derivative of f with respect + d C- b5 |5 l+ pto x% I6 f) x( E! U" _+ R
f(4)(x) f four x / the fourth derivative of f with respect to x. _ Q' p9 l: C9 S) Z; l" ~. i
@f# _7 q, S; i b, k& o& t1 {: R
@x1 q5 X1 ]1 y, y+ a! rthe partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 ; m& F/ d6 t- L/ J6 V8 ^8 B0 P@2f # k, v, n* R2 [+ L@x21 7 ?7 V: z& U) L. ^the second partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1# @4 {' d" Q% F" g9 h A
Z ' |; @' h( K% l4 H5 G+ b$ g& e1 ; ^$ S8 |- U" ^: z3 {0. r4 M, J4 S% V6 ?5 r: B
the integral from zero to in¯nity 9 a% @4 u$ V; j4 ]7 nlim 9 W4 [. R2 G; Ox!0 0 L6 N) z; s! t: q# |" ^6 Vthe limit as x approaches zero 9 ^! X4 T9 H& B0 @lim 4 A4 o& \5 r" w) y/ a9 H; [x!+0! k' Y! X: Q8 Z7 `, Y# j6 @
the limit as x approaches zero from above, q: d0 X) h1 s
lim % y/ L* T5 s) I. lx!¡0 6 f+ x/ U6 d0 L" ythe limit as x approaches zero from below6 o" ~& g( T( W1 M; W
loge y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y7 z4 v4 L/ S+ |; X5 v' @& _
ln y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y( J6 o; k" [! j& f% e% s" a
Individual mathematicians often have their own way of pronouncing mathematical expressions + O# g( e7 T+ E6 v4 S4 d( Dand in many cases there is no generally accepted \correct" pronunciation.3 q0 N4 s" v3 N; Q
Distinctions made in writing are often not made explicit in speech; thus the sounds fx may + x" P, U( ~) N% g; ?be interpreted as any of: fx, f(x), fx, FX, FX, F¡¡X!. The di®erence is usually made clear k$ w$ t3 t; F# w% ?5 I( _
by the context; it is only when confusion may occur, or where he/she wishes to emphasise 3 [. f' f* w% k7 M8 `7 j$ zthe point, that the mathematician will use the longer forms: f multiplied by x, the function* `. b" L' k/ W; X: Q. ^* i
f of x, f subscript x, line FX, the length of the segment FX, vector FX. / {* X; y+ y9 O8 z9 t" J t+ SSimilarly, a mathematician is unlikely to make any distinction in speech (except sometimes# V& }8 K2 X7 ^3 E& @& X
a di®erence in intonation or length of pauses) between pairs such as the following:' m* t( `& I9 b2 L1 g
x + (y + z) and (x + y) + z . N, i; p; Q% v, @4 hpax + b and pax + b # o* Z! J+ P* e, |5 ]3 gan ¡ 1 and an¡1 9 G" V2 \, X: ?( b+ GThe primary reference has been David Hall with Tim Bowyer, Nucleus, English for Science 1 P9 v5 N7 p6 O. L/ d0 land Technology, Mathematics, Longman 1980. Glen Anderson and Matti Vuorinen have 5 G K4 b: ?5 ^$ k' v% @given good comments and supplements.* y4 a( S# k9 |, o
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