Pronunciation of mathematical expressions & n/ i1 o) t5 {The pronunciations of the most common mathematical expressions are given in the list , n7 X9 ?6 s7 x9 C4 y3 ubelow. In general, the shortest versions are preferred (unless greater precision is necessary). 7 U6 |) [) N ~) K" [9 w9 R# E1. Logic( n a y" L7 q5 X
9 there exists1 { t5 P! m$ h
8 for all ^ N8 i" u# P1 ^& e2 k
p ) q p implies q / if p, then q - b7 e5 j# N' c& \% ip , q p if and only if q /p is equivalent to q / p and q are equivalent : Q1 n1 [1 Y" D# E4 h1 v2. Sets4 x! w6 g- w4 [+ O% [) P% e/ v
x 2 A x belongs to A / x is an element (or a member) of A : ?, |7 Z, N/ z! v& Ux =2 A x does not belong to A / x is not an element (or a member) of A * c; B7 x- s( ~5 \+ i! SA ½ B A is contained in B / A is a subset of B3 Z+ Z I. x; C. { x% {1 ^& Y
A ¾ B A contains B / B is a subset of A& r% M9 J. i- o( A6 Q; |6 @) D
A \ B A cap B / A meet B / A intersection B; E9 P0 ?& M' H! f, ~* |
A [ B A cup B / A join B / A union B- {2 ]" l' Q- C% U4 U1 U4 y( B
A n B A minus B / the di®erence between A and B 6 j1 o5 n# i! K+ |A £ B A cross B / the cartesian product of A and B - t1 \9 i; H; j3. Real numbers - r: C5 a4 Z, g3 ?' \6 dx + 1 x plus one: y0 W8 E0 P* A/ q' ~
x ¡ 1 x minus one* ?- r; f1 i1 s- a3 ?' h+ R6 _9 Z
x § 1 x plus or minus one 0 I6 W* T$ I. I+ @% wxy xy / x multiplied by y7 T( K; d9 K7 i& I7 J
(x ¡ y)(x + y) x minus y, x plus y" C( P6 a( D. h% I" T4 Z
x & ~7 a( Z- B0 I$ Z1 ?y 6 F6 U9 X/ J8 Z' Hx over y" i; h _' ?( u% a% T+ G3 ~0 `
= the equals sign/ v& B$ j/ n9 _/ @! i# [9 ~
x = 5 x equals 5 / x is equal to 5" I8 ]3 P( H& }3 @
x 6= 5 x (is) not equal to 5; c+ }0 }) l/ f
1 & y# L' n8 U1 Y0 S' K. lx ´ y x is equivalent to (or identical with) y 7 j9 `* N1 Y3 g- U* R/ Z% cx 6´ y x is not equivalent to (or identical with) y6 P: Z( P5 ]4 L- t0 r8 _2 m' ]
x > y x is greater than y ~! |) s& Q& b+ o( vx ¸ y x is greater than or equal to y 0 R# V4 Z; z: z0 u. {/ T! @6 S }x < y x is less than y7 o. p$ V9 a% x2 |/ t
x · y x is less than or equal to y $ t) f( n" f! j5 x+ ~0 < x < 1 zero is less than x is less than 1 ) q. T: s" b" \/ z/ O# k! Y* l0 · x · 1 zero is less than or equal to x is less than or equal to 1 + o# P) x( S4 k/ v' R! }jxj mod x / modulus x & j j/ M/ B7 `8 r+ O" Wx2 x squared / x (raised) to the power 2 ! C7 f2 k: t& ~3 n/ k4 _x3 x cubed: {' h+ \% C# P1 b+ o3 X) R, S
x4 x to the fourth / x to the power four% j% [' M. J, S: q0 B/ u( Y0 r% |
xn x to the nth / x to the power n + r4 s6 Z+ `6 R! u$ i9 Sx¡n x to the (power) minus n Z1 y- X* N* Q% rpx (square) root x / the square root of x, H3 v; K+ x6 V( Q+ g+ ^
p3 x cube root (of) x: p: A8 V) [0 L4 N! v5 `
p4 x fourth root (of) x' S$ J" A, b( G9 O9 F
npx nth root (of) x - N7 U5 t+ D7 `- x7 R1 j) {' h(x + y)2 x plus y all squared; p2 F, l d' a
³x* I$ ?6 u- {3 O! d- B
y- s: G* y, C+ u1 f5 ?7 ^
´2 3 a2 h* R, K1 g; L0 o8 f) f% F5 Px over y all squared " X- W1 N- G5 Z% k9 Yn! n factorial 0 E: s* A* n- A^x x hat. c% J% P* ? Y" U
¹x x bar 4 Q! I, v4 V+ Z8 M~x x tilde ( {; ?9 Q2 x3 v* Wxi xi / x subscript i / x su±x i / x sub i " X# k; i8 D4 j, u2 tXn 2 n3 f2 h! ?9 Z4 f6 ?i=1, ?0 Q$ q- X- J1 y8 p
ai the sum from i equals one to n ai / the sum as i runs from 1 to n of the ai7 [0 ?$ @0 X' C" r; J7 z' S. e% R
4. Linear algebra ( U4 m9 t2 A* z3 E3 skxk the norm (or modulus) of x9 x8 x: N7 Z2 W4 @! R+ B; S# k
O¡¡!A OA / vector OA' U( ]& {2 X7 r p& x8 P
OA OA / the length of the segment OA 2 z& F' B) u. G$ h ^- |+ H4 `AT A transpose / the transpose of A% }0 K$ V N0 n$ S( l( R
A¡1 A inverse / the inverse of A2 I5 a7 J+ a' @ `# y; T5 W
2 & F: w) |+ W3 x. o5. Functions5 X. B2 H" e/ I$ p% i; B* Q2 P6 d: J
f(x) fx / f of x / the function f of x2 a/ [* }( l4 ?* a
f : S ! T a function f from S to T ( F- |+ {. a+ S( k' a6 y+ |% bx 7! y x maps to y / x is sent (or mapped) to y, {4 s& M0 h8 M# B
f0(x) f prime x / f dash x / the (¯rst) derivative of f with respect to x " G3 S/ x% k. J" Bf00(x) f double{prime x / f double{dash x / the second derivative of f with % c( O) ?/ z+ h/ z( Jrespect to x ) _- V0 ]# \' If000(x) f triple{prime x / f triple{dash x / the third derivative of f with respect( _: o6 D0 E8 W, c, V* z, i
to x* T0 b1 U. M0 G" ]; C
f(4)(x) f four x / the fourth derivative of f with respect to x $ `: d& u5 F6 w# j/ E( [0 Z@f0 k( K2 i/ a1 ^" Z% C& d
@x1 # ~9 Q: T9 v+ `2 S: Z) rthe partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 + o6 F* g9 c( l+ V3 D( R/ s1 \+ U@2f" A H" ~! \0 a. ~' ^
@x21 $ r! k7 D4 D6 W! Nthe second partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 : b& {5 ~* a# B( R+ K/ p xZ& d+ E# `8 K* \2 S. h. S5 R5 N
1 |" x4 w/ h6 j
0 3 Y& P- m# S, W+ B* mthe integral from zero to in¯nity8 q) _3 m- m1 A
lim 7 h }! L! @7 q/ ex!0& R E4 m" ? D; i
the limit as x approaches zero5 o' a: W# z- s3 L. `& ^
lim 2 E7 t8 u2 X3 l# b* Yx!+09 T0 ?; a _3 I1 m
the limit as x approaches zero from above 2 U7 ]: J. ^1 p; M6 ?9 p) Olim 8 d- T2 Y9 W( J) e- yx!¡08 o# m& V7 @* n+ q# q
the limit as x approaches zero from below. U! c2 b3 \8 w9 D7 L2 ?
loge y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y q8 _2 {; |- W4 [% d2 Sln y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y! G/ ^7 l: @6 N) u: t* s" f
Individual mathematicians often have their own way of pronouncing mathematical expressions' S! `% P/ s- U9 F% c, \
and in many cases there is no generally accepted \correct" pronunciation.2 k, c9 C& ]: }, f) s2 G2 X- T
Distinctions made in writing are often not made explicit in speech; thus the sounds fx may ! l [7 W/ V$ r+ q) Y, y, bbe interpreted as any of: fx, f(x), fx, FX, FX, F¡¡X!. The di®erence is usually made clear6 `, c& i" H; ^# B5 `
by the context; it is only when confusion may occur, or where he/she wishes to emphasise . q" y% A* h9 o( F& `the point, that the mathematician will use the longer forms: f multiplied by x, the function - A f0 C. J0 X# l$ ?7 g% m1 k* @4 Hf of x, f subscript x, line FX, the length of the segment FX, vector FX. $ r( h( Y) S1 R1 H5 D) fSimilarly, a mathematician is unlikely to make any distinction in speech (except sometimes # J1 w4 a7 h* ~' l \6 n3 W! ]1 ea di®erence in intonation or length of pauses) between pairs such as the following: ; [: N1 e2 M7 g( ^( d9 x+ Jx + (y + z) and (x + y) + z( B: H- @$ B8 p. i
pax + b and pax + b 8 @- A% s; k1 q0 n" `% F4 B6 S3 }3 Lan ¡ 1 and an¡12 W C" T. U0 j! m" h2 I
The primary reference has been David Hall with Tim Bowyer, Nucleus, English for Science/ p, o8 |4 b1 I* F0 G9 f. j: u
and Technology, Mathematics, Longman 1980. Glen Anderson and Matti Vuorinen have; S& r R" L, Z. ?
given good comments and supplements. 1 C& l, q( U- m8 C3