Pronunciation of mathematical expressions$ U! r- ?- ^) m+ @0 p" I
The pronunciations of the most common mathematical expressions are given in the list$ _5 v8 n: e$ ^, p
below. In general, the shortest versions are preferred (unless greater precision is necessary). ; R1 \; U+ [/ j. ]) y" B) x1. Logic: v4 r; {; R' w/ {. Y
9 there exists% n. T8 ]+ C" D- y4 ]7 z1 n
8 for all ?: [0 |/ `8 F4 g$ |* k# l4 H
p ) q p implies q / if p, then q% m4 G! j4 \( \; l- Y* p% M
p , q p if and only if q /p is equivalent to q / p and q are equivalent0 b7 T- e6 C$ k
2. Sets9 l8 c9 g4 a; m. U, X7 \; N& Q
x 2 A x belongs to A / x is an element (or a member) of A$ V h/ p- I' |6 Z3 y5 \
x =2 A x does not belong to A / x is not an element (or a member) of A D/ P; s+ t `7 y
A ½ B A is contained in B / A is a subset of B6 O; r7 N7 \6 O$ S; d+ w v" t
A ¾ B A contains B / B is a subset of A 8 S, t1 l X/ ~$ x( m3 g% d; a) uA \ B A cap B / A meet B / A intersection B1 c* y W' q+ r& z1 S9 c
A [ B A cup B / A join B / A union B 3 h+ v% B3 {7 N' i, AA n B A minus B / the di®erence between A and B" W6 u; Q9 S7 y
A £ B A cross B / the cartesian product of A and B - ], \& w. f3 c" h$ [- K/ G3. Real numbers( A: P$ p" ~7 r% z* e1 I3 z& A8 v0 ^/ @
x + 1 x plus one# ` }2 s$ t3 k, p. r- ^% b
x ¡ 1 x minus one 3 Q3 C; E% c. f) G) ~, ex § 1 x plus or minus one/ j) m0 d' w: E9 T7 ^8 v/ w
xy xy / x multiplied by y . b/ m4 [- j2 j/ B* i(x ¡ y)(x + y) x minus y, x plus y/ t i/ k% Y" b$ G3 r9 `
x 8 k: X: E3 H+ w5 ?2 g4 {y 1 q" `( q Y: A; B) lx over y % b9 s& Q( M- O5 z, }1 L! d= the equals sign) p% a: X' n0 t9 t& C
x = 5 x equals 5 / x is equal to 5 4 s1 J! Y* n% u8 F! m5 ?+ lx 6= 5 x (is) not equal to 5 5 h0 |6 Z% l) r0 U _6 R1 + z, a x6 N( w) N. Hx ´ y x is equivalent to (or identical with) y 7 t2 t! \& F7 D" f1 U$ a7 [8 i+ wx 6´ y x is not equivalent to (or identical with) y: o) l4 @/ G+ O& {+ ^( w
x > y x is greater than y+ H' M2 k4 {1 Q; H, ^
x ¸ y x is greater than or equal to y/ y8 N2 Y* r* s. Y
x < y x is less than y; |/ o- L+ c0 U2 F! O
x · y x is less than or equal to y ) U1 \5 a* t5 m5 r% b9 N% I3 h$ K5 A0 < x < 1 zero is less than x is less than 1! x/ J( A7 f$ G- G$ k3 o2 m
0 · x · 1 zero is less than or equal to x is less than or equal to 1 ! U' Y# R9 t6 @) ~ @$ Z' }jxj mod x / modulus x 7 W3 R$ P4 d% S. @" Jx2 x squared / x (raised) to the power 2 ; S6 [7 o+ U7 a! a' ^5 jx3 x cubed& ^: } Y# k2 p) k* Z" D6 S7 S
x4 x to the fourth / x to the power four. @5 z* r" `+ k' z6 U+ e- \( z' _
xn x to the nth / x to the power n - E5 u! p8 `/ Z/ ~0 p) e# D9 rx¡n x to the (power) minus n3 f4 j s! r0 ~7 S: Y
px (square) root x / the square root of x ' R' ]' }0 F3 S: X% R: o9 [p3 x cube root (of) x 6 i9 Y7 K+ t# P' Jp4 x fourth root (of) x 8 d1 n5 F5 \+ i+ P3 r) w( pnpx nth root (of) x/ G$ w8 y, Z! R: ]. ^+ L
(x + y)2 x plus y all squared% `$ J/ }* u2 K) h+ S
³x, R! J+ k7 s- r8 K L) s7 ]
y0 n! d( H8 M9 J/ `$ e# k
´2 + J' c( \% L4 y G# Cx over y all squared 5 F4 L* y6 Y5 C' F6 I, sn! n factorial2 g8 T# g% @5 u) H& t1 `
^x x hat* o) H1 J N# v7 T. V0 g
¹x x bar2 {+ P; w0 H/ P/ h, b
~x x tilde; P O6 Y, o- |4 ~ Y
xi xi / x subscript i / x su±x i / x sub i 6 G2 U/ b# j, O5 J0 |Xn/ Q) |; _6 K, B6 x" x: s
i=1 0 l; q6 f: Q0 |* V7 w7 [8 Y0 eai the sum from i equals one to n ai / the sum as i runs from 1 to n of the ai # x" n( b* t" N9 s/ I& S# {4. Linear algebra3 ~- ]# ~. `, C m
kxk the norm (or modulus) of x " t6 V6 Y% Y j2 f$ FO¡¡!A OA / vector OA8 L( j+ `- X3 W# }
OA OA / the length of the segment OA$ V2 X* D5 [/ Z
AT A transpose / the transpose of A$ s/ |5 K* D- j/ D8 @
A¡1 A inverse / the inverse of A* ~ `4 z" x+ V9 ?6 V
2 & |( n3 U1 x0 x- L5. Functions) p, h2 \2 V) q: ?$ q3 Y' S9 i
f(x) fx / f of x / the function f of x 1 B I/ X! Y6 q. }7 K- nf : S ! T a function f from S to T 8 Z9 g. X' n/ J- mx 7! y x maps to y / x is sent (or mapped) to y+ y$ w. M" f( W+ ?
f0(x) f prime x / f dash x / the (¯rst) derivative of f with respect to x) ~( M9 [0 i) ?# R8 b
f00(x) f double{prime x / f double{dash x / the second derivative of f with , Q6 U0 R6 x4 H; h* \7 N. [4 g$ orespect to x : f# ^2 ~7 |- e! Z9 Df000(x) f triple{prime x / f triple{dash x / the third derivative of f with respect ) u+ E" H5 s* { `% ?' u' x; Cto x( r9 m) i$ V8 ]8 U* I
f(4)(x) f four x / the fourth derivative of f with respect to x 1 r0 i7 q/ ]$ ~7 I@f: A B, A* Z' H1 l. b# w
@x1 # Z8 M0 c8 n' b# `- j" O% Bthe partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 2 x* H$ a& q9 d @, v5 X@2f) q+ f6 {! Y* o# p8 S& D
@x21! n3 [% {! m: @# g
the second partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 + T5 u( K- E& x$ n, F5 F% p5 n% ]Z K; Q! ?2 F$ w$ I( A/ ~1 $ A+ \ H; D# p0 d- v2 I0 0 m/ i/ a8 M( t* [the integral from zero to in¯nity 8 Z' \6 V7 H9 p; p5 alim % G% @- ^) u7 px!0 / ^2 }/ V/ o$ F5 ]) n+ B6 z% zthe limit as x approaches zero8 P: O% s: @! ?6 }
lim 3 ?" a! l1 r% _ o% Jx!+0( L" O' b6 u7 m2 ^, Q E5 M
the limit as x approaches zero from above6 r; { Q) O$ J1 }+ j
lim. S6 Y$ M0 C# u& F3 ^, t5 ]; N& q) m
x!¡0. [1 d6 Q6 T& \1 G0 E
the limit as x approaches zero from below 3 [- C( [4 E% R( Y: x4 x+ z" T6 F% _. ~% cloge y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y . }3 a9 j: D/ I0 P7 [4 q% B0 r8 v% oln y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y' Y* V9 ?6 A) |% {
Individual mathematicians often have their own way of pronouncing mathematical expressions% Z# G+ H" K0 [ t
and in many cases there is no generally accepted \correct" pronunciation.8 |! B- r ?+ X
Distinctions made in writing are often not made explicit in speech; thus the sounds fx may 6 o4 P2 M" L4 {, e8 Mbe interpreted as any of: fx, f(x), fx, FX, FX, F¡¡X!. The di®erence is usually made clear 5 B, G/ D: v5 e: k# i2 g0 N/ w5 ]3 \by the context; it is only when confusion may occur, or where he/she wishes to emphasise " L7 s* {! | ]9 T4 bthe point, that the mathematician will use the longer forms: f multiplied by x, the function3 K; n8 f" G+ j: S; A' f
f of x, f subscript x, line FX, the length of the segment FX, vector FX. , m. N7 j p+ h, E7 o+ y& uSimilarly, a mathematician is unlikely to make any distinction in speech (except sometimes 4 L6 F* P( G% s1 m* q C3 ^' Ga di®erence in intonation or length of pauses) between pairs such as the following: - |$ P+ ], ]$ u# s# P& v7 V$ gx + (y + z) and (x + y) + z , b. Z( e9 W' X) T( V; ?pax + b and pax + b M9 t' B0 m# I( ` j: b% b; j
an ¡ 1 and an¡1 * J- H0 c# ]4 i/ SThe primary reference has been David Hall with Tim Bowyer, Nucleus, English for Science + `6 f7 P$ u2 n. j: Land Technology, Mathematics, Longman 1980. Glen Anderson and Matti Vuorinen have / k( P& E+ P; T% cgiven good comments and supplements. ! O8 x1 \% k+ |0 s- k3