Pronunciation of mathematical expressions9 S! I; c( X# Y1 F' b
The pronunciations of the most common mathematical expressions are given in the list5 \# P8 N. N2 ^& {# w
below. In general, the shortest versions are preferred (unless greater precision is necessary).8 H- Z7 ?9 X0 A8 a; M7 ?+ I
1. Logic# e8 w3 P& T8 {
9 there exists R# ]8 W! ^* _& d# k& J8 o8 for all* s! p4 s# Z3 h3 t7 W/ e3 f7 k
p ) q p implies q / if p, then q9 k; N6 M ?) y* n
p , q p if and only if q /p is equivalent to q / p and q are equivalent9 a6 i% v& T5 h( A
2. Sets ' q$ x) ~: u( W# r9 S( K+ z, O/ Ox 2 A x belongs to A / x is an element (or a member) of A 4 l4 T. |4 Q4 |3 b4 D2 M, lx =2 A x does not belong to A / x is not an element (or a member) of A . B5 k& s$ I2 S7 V! L/ pA ½ B A is contained in B / A is a subset of B( A/ `4 l+ r8 I0 U4 l, f5 u l
A ¾ B A contains B / B is a subset of A7 J* [6 \7 z1 m/ f
A \ B A cap B / A meet B / A intersection B- b$ T/ W8 J* ?, G5 L) ^% Y
A [ B A cup B / A join B / A union B x3 w1 j( J5 _' o7 r) @& N1 c
A n B A minus B / the di®erence between A and B 3 s: c4 ?+ J& V MA £ B A cross B / the cartesian product of A and B $ k4 Y/ H4 o& ^* u- t1 o7 N" y3. Real numbers 8 Q! u# a9 H: _0 z3 _x + 1 x plus one8 _9 _/ `( @ D+ z$ \$ K6 x
x ¡ 1 x minus one 6 Q' t( |) c* x6 ]# m' Z4 t$ ~x § 1 x plus or minus one) S1 C) k8 E+ P% O/ ^0 _
xy xy / x multiplied by y + b2 g8 T7 N9 i! R' s& p5 J(x ¡ y)(x + y) x minus y, x plus y% A- e2 E, j+ c) K
x , v; s" s8 E. U' b y2 [y" `6 x0 V/ X( F2 a; f
x over y7 k/ ?8 [. a% V h4 N# N
= the equals sign ) D* t0 R% j% T6 {6 n1 [x = 5 x equals 5 / x is equal to 5 " Q) j4 w- ]- R$ r8 K9 [+ wx 6= 5 x (is) not equal to 5( W0 _$ U$ y: s( U: z
1 9 S' M- f1 o- j( }) t$ t$ wx ´ y x is equivalent to (or identical with) y 3 G0 ]! y, @. Z( X) }x 6´ y x is not equivalent to (or identical with) y % A, o* }% ]& m, px > y x is greater than y g8 d6 y- A) {
x ¸ y x is greater than or equal to y 8 l, q1 i! W1 B1 j8 Xx < y x is less than y9 T' O/ q. D9 T4 P
x · y x is less than or equal to y6 b C1 A# V: r* m2 ?! b4 Z
0 < x < 1 zero is less than x is less than 1 ( X- Z. S, O( S3 i$ \3 S2 b0 · x · 1 zero is less than or equal to x is less than or equal to 10 b8 o8 E5 u9 z9 P# }4 z
jxj mod x / modulus x ; u! Y: J4 n6 p1 _+ r7 Ax2 x squared / x (raised) to the power 2 ( V9 }" \! i5 Wx3 x cubed " L/ `8 B& x/ t7 o" ^0 ]$ n* p% vx4 x to the fourth / x to the power four' t8 j( c8 {) E: _" n+ o
xn x to the nth / x to the power n # ^ F I7 ?; I- n' ^ u+ Tx¡n x to the (power) minus n5 G% t: g7 H) n2 y
px (square) root x / the square root of x, o! } {: t* s. U, n/ _2 d
p3 x cube root (of) x, T) X+ Z& s2 u& L1 T, n) d
p4 x fourth root (of) x % A: e9 y& o, \* V- ]npx nth root (of) x$ g& l" o# `, A# ~
(x + y)2 x plus y all squared ' [$ ]5 \6 d( }6 Q³x 2 y0 V+ ~* Q& e5 d- j/ Oy " | o/ Z- j% `3 o: x* `6 O´2 6 B! _: p' R9 T$ ex over y all squared: ~2 o. ~2 w; @2 S- o) B
n! n factorial ! G3 a e) @" T; h e+ M( |^x x hat( t9 D2 R5 J! |' c
¹x x bar0 j* [) g& S, `: F# z. F
~x x tilde ; l6 F# Z; @6 J1 p3 H! k# Jxi xi / x subscript i / x su±x i / x sub i% q. _ q5 {$ |! {; K, t7 v
Xn # {+ d7 i5 X) F! _/ J* S+ \i=1 0 o" z% [! C- g% Y4 ?2 ~ai the sum from i equals one to n ai / the sum as i runs from 1 to n of the ai/ B7 y% G# I, o- p% n: S( h: w
4. Linear algebra6 i0 r3 l( B. L. I1 n
kxk the norm (or modulus) of x 2 l. @; P5 _) ^O¡¡!A OA / vector OA, a: ^* W/ q- k7 m( t. m$ w
OA OA / the length of the segment OA- ~4 A; i2 b" \; n( p* g2 s( o0 L
AT A transpose / the transpose of A ! q- T# h5 j* M, n( j: fA¡1 A inverse / the inverse of A4 G1 \- L- X1 S
2, p* v3 C- m' s) G' n& h
5. Functions # g. o. y. Q7 d, n6 k/ Kf(x) fx / f of x / the function f of x - G# d0 t5 T/ |" r4 }) O0 tf : S ! T a function f from S to T" Y. W2 u! c2 |4 x
x 7! y x maps to y / x is sent (or mapped) to y ( P4 F$ j0 Y- g; G/ B( If0(x) f prime x / f dash x / the (¯rst) derivative of f with respect to x . x& f3 {% L& |8 `7 kf00(x) f double{prime x / f double{dash x / the second derivative of f with 5 c. i1 B) q$ v, ^2 brespect to x1 H; ?( f% ^0 V8 I1 C) X, I$ C$ `
f000(x) f triple{prime x / f triple{dash x / the third derivative of f with respect 2 R# O9 _4 \; }0 ^+ Cto x 4 j8 ^% o/ l7 P/ Cf(4)(x) f four x / the fourth derivative of f with respect to x , b) W( Y- k7 w@f2 B9 V2 z% _( C3 _- T- w
@x1 8 Q# p. w1 P, ^the partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 6 h4 m( @- M! Z7 f: {@2f 5 Y$ [1 R; l! B, X4 q* R1 u( B( j@x21; b) B' i4 ^1 g/ e
the second partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1/ e0 A, g% o% U0 U" J4 X
Z+ }3 v! k5 P* o5 I5 E, r! P
1& P" @( i% v2 {" D4 X+ l
04 e1 I! e$ r7 u) j7 ?
the integral from zero to in¯nity, {/ q5 h: Y7 Y# L" j3 w) R
lim- q0 F, _4 t* d; }0 \
x!0) w- R8 h6 d1 m7 L. N+ Q
the limit as x approaches zero; Q: p0 u7 r4 U- Z9 ]! ^1 E/ y
lim: |- z" m" L6 d$ J' ]' d P
x!+0' {# f! r& j9 ` w- i
the limit as x approaches zero from above : z4 e: ^, n* P. B4 J, c7 clim+ C& _7 C( e2 M: P; I9 x5 \2 V
x!¡0 - [' R& S7 h5 k2 o, V% m. l q$ qthe limit as x approaches zero from below7 S$ ?2 P' a' S; O& g
loge y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y' ?6 W; f, B2 S/ R5 |8 L# e
ln y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y ) `) K: @8 N* cIndividual mathematicians often have their own way of pronouncing mathematical expressions+ E% C' i7 t4 o6 A+ B
and in many cases there is no generally accepted \correct" pronunciation. % A) o$ u# m! Z9 O8 x( V3 A3 ]Distinctions made in writing are often not made explicit in speech; thus the sounds fx may 5 B' _0 Q% c N4 Z" g; \be interpreted as any of: fx, f(x), fx, FX, FX, F¡¡X!. The di®erence is usually made clear % ~7 q% {% D3 Y- R8 c- @* Oby the context; it is only when confusion may occur, or where he/she wishes to emphasise3 M% }- ?# ~3 J; ^
the point, that the mathematician will use the longer forms: f multiplied by x, the function0 z- Y7 s2 p, f+ _
f of x, f subscript x, line FX, the length of the segment FX, vector FX. 1 W0 L( ]! x. |Similarly, a mathematician is unlikely to make any distinction in speech (except sometimes . J5 A# A% r0 H5 }* s' qa di®erence in intonation or length of pauses) between pairs such as the following: $ f- o/ s. M4 {8 Gx + (y + z) and (x + y) + z $ W ~5 c2 J: m7 X& O0 f; epax + b and pax + b3 U$ S2 o! e0 p! e4 W' Z
an ¡ 1 and an¡1 . D) l* F' v; q3 O& \" O. ~The primary reference has been David Hall with Tim Bowyer, Nucleus, English for Science+ a' |) A+ ]0 u9 ^/ S! F
and Technology, Mathematics, Longman 1980. Glen Anderson and Matti Vuorinen have$ ^3 I; L; W( v6 b! B
given good comments and supplements. 1 D/ ]# P0 e' M/ G4 K2 _1 o0 U3