Pronunciation of mathematical expressions . ]' P* Y; s# ]" n2 D9 `$ ZThe pronunciations of the most common mathematical expressions are given in the list 9 s$ r7 g6 g" @. Z {3 ]below. In general, the shortest versions are preferred (unless greater precision is necessary). 6 }" h/ J' S% Q0 e2 Z7 [1. Logic " X& R# d' U5 V& g, Q9 there exists & m' n* ?3 F- d9 j) I* ^. a8 for all; H. N5 u; |/ `' j
p ) q p implies q / if p, then q 9 O2 X" r) j, {* up , q p if and only if q /p is equivalent to q / p and q are equivalent " a# @! g7 @9 }$ [9 l F2 ?9 t6 ~2. Sets8 o/ b8 Z3 d9 |
x 2 A x belongs to A / x is an element (or a member) of A 4 F0 u* ~# ~9 P$ A1 ]9 Q ax =2 A x does not belong to A / x is not an element (or a member) of A + m0 }7 b( ?5 k* H+ T; n" BA ½ B A is contained in B / A is a subset of B) r) U) m% G: s" I( n# ]! k3 X1 Z
A ¾ B A contains B / B is a subset of A 7 K4 x4 X4 `) g, lA \ B A cap B / A meet B / A intersection B# J: I, z; O0 w5 V* ?
A [ B A cup B / A join B / A union B" f1 I( g0 O+ F) [& @
A n B A minus B / the di®erence between A and B 3 G4 m7 d: g hA £ B A cross B / the cartesian product of A and B ! R' m. z9 }% V- S3. Real numbers& z. b8 P) N" D* S" z5 l7 |0 [
x + 1 x plus one j6 N0 x' {: i2 p: ax ¡ 1 x minus one $ f8 q. j; I' p( h8 L6 ?# d4 ix § 1 x plus or minus one + _& Y6 u+ O# R# u- |9 \* Txy xy / x multiplied by y 1 ~: u) |: x- ^2 {4 |1 e(x ¡ y)(x + y) x minus y, x plus y" g; x7 `9 L& E5 q& S2 x2 ^
x1 e* q) m, O3 c7 P; G, m/ v
y3 I9 T F4 t. E
x over y 0 k3 Q7 y/ I4 x8 O8 ?= the equals sign 2 H+ O- B& Q( n1 o9 B; Ix = 5 x equals 5 / x is equal to 5 7 F2 L$ P7 x) ~0 w. X: S' vx 6= 5 x (is) not equal to 5 0 `- a7 ]3 O% ~ ]) _7 m17 P" B/ e7 E7 M' r9 ]( n4 s
x ´ y x is equivalent to (or identical with) y 5 @- ?$ E. C5 |+ `$ }% g- Kx 6´ y x is not equivalent to (or identical with) y 0 R: ?+ d/ t! ^x > y x is greater than y6 y: L! y1 b9 X
x ¸ y x is greater than or equal to y' V5 |! u: M+ c9 O! X& N+ ?) l+ Z
x < y x is less than y- {; Y/ C& [$ X# x% d. Z0 w5 Y$ _. g
x · y x is less than or equal to y 5 c( U: u) D$ `$ c: d0 < x < 1 zero is less than x is less than 13 F* A$ E& H' b( [# ^
0 · x · 1 zero is less than or equal to x is less than or equal to 11 k0 P) v' J3 t! P; H
jxj mod x / modulus x% ^- B1 U& X' F; j2 y
x2 x squared / x (raised) to the power 2 T2 g ~9 r1 Z$ yx3 x cubed - M% V# A' N2 Q1 f: m! wx4 x to the fourth / x to the power four 7 F. i0 q2 M' p) q# ixn x to the nth / x to the power n - q8 U& W. ^4 K- Ux¡n x to the (power) minus n 9 [: v& F' w; n; q. j# t$ W2 g' ipx (square) root x / the square root of x , c$ l2 @9 ^1 o% |! F, T/ G, o+ p# h. np3 x cube root (of) x # k8 p! l1 m2 Q- r; \8 \p4 x fourth root (of) x/ ~- ]5 E' x- [7 U
npx nth root (of) x , F% Q! C9 `! P(x + y)2 x plus y all squared 6 g- d( N# o7 g* e% ~) ]³x9 f& _2 X& }# @; u3 U' u1 [5 @
y - N; `4 x7 b9 t; M) ^$ ^4 M´2 w) \# `$ m7 i( W+ N
x over y all squared 3 t. p- E& p8 ~5 H2 Y$ T# Sn! n factorial g- u: I1 J/ X% t2 i& ]
^x x hat/ @9 S' ?1 l* n* l9 `# B6 ~& O
¹x x bar1 b6 d( ~- q" P- }- _5 P
~x x tilde- B# t4 Y7 f% f. ]8 Z
xi xi / x subscript i / x su±x i / x sub i( n, B8 e, P0 O W" H
Xn. e9 L: C6 E3 E" t% D) t9 w
i=1 1 M* h" g% `; w5 `1 Iai the sum from i equals one to n ai / the sum as i runs from 1 to n of the ai F% }. O9 n6 g# [& t
4. Linear algebra1 }$ {# _* p# w- Q- a
kxk the norm (or modulus) of x1 C; D5 | b$ f5 u5 ]. @
O¡¡!A OA / vector OA ( E9 H: k/ ]/ _ i! W3 x$ oOA OA / the length of the segment OA3 O$ h5 a+ q) w9 R+ W' i# Z
AT A transpose / the transpose of A : X4 d) }' h. }A¡1 A inverse / the inverse of A- f6 f7 }* g& F: t: X
23 Q* V4 o$ Z( W) k- i9 t' {, `
5. Functions * f! _9 [& m7 @' _ ]$ q; yf(x) fx / f of x / the function f of x & J) {, h9 G$ i" m& U, uf : S ! T a function f from S to T ; _" _$ B1 R2 g1 ]x 7! y x maps to y / x is sent (or mapped) to y 2 O9 B/ c t, f, Y0 jf0(x) f prime x / f dash x / the (¯rst) derivative of f with respect to x 5 p# h! j) @$ g; V: `f00(x) f double{prime x / f double{dash x / the second derivative of f with! c- U4 u d. b j
respect to x + i6 R# h4 C0 P+ P4 Vf000(x) f triple{prime x / f triple{dash x / the third derivative of f with respect : V% A. y' f) B7 T' ~to x $ f: b, O; T* a2 L9 |f(4)(x) f four x / the fourth derivative of f with respect to x) f! K2 Z7 b( ^/ t6 T
@f+ h- `: L4 _+ n3 t7 W
@x1 # b' \8 C/ x8 \the partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 5 V2 Z6 F4 N" O@2f' x! x, Y" N$ _7 U% }. n
@x21) c d) L7 s# \1 i( Q$ s/ E( T9 c
the second partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1; P5 h1 C6 {7 m
Z - Q( a; U" B) r* n( j1 6 ^6 ~. d) J+ {' F) r0) M- d; m j3 |+ O1 u0 ]6 T3 D
the integral from zero to in¯nity % g2 a, X9 t+ ilim& V% |2 @8 _3 f, ?
x!0) b. t- p3 s E6 a& Q
the limit as x approaches zero, {9 f2 |; }3 I$ }+ m- E
lim P l& K4 t* V# L% @# Tx!+0 [4 W3 o3 T* b3 X/ A2 lthe limit as x approaches zero from above( j0 X# q& E) S3 K
lim ( `" Y( x$ P- o: M) ]x!¡0 & b4 ]; A8 r; K0 a; f$ O* Pthe limit as x approaches zero from below1 u( F9 Q9 L% L8 Q. n
loge y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y5 g7 c m; A: o# `# ~
ln y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y 4 L% y6 K& c8 @1 @5 {Individual mathematicians often have their own way of pronouncing mathematical expressions 4 a5 z7 @; ]' @( P1 s& j7 uand in many cases there is no generally accepted \correct" pronunciation. : F" z X& ?; p( n2 vDistinctions made in writing are often not made explicit in speech; thus the sounds fx may6 E3 ^2 l0 i) G: U
be interpreted as any of: fx, f(x), fx, FX, FX, F¡¡X!. The di®erence is usually made clear o; _/ F+ B' ]5 y: p; `
by the context; it is only when confusion may occur, or where he/she wishes to emphasise, ?& L6 C8 f) |5 G2 k
the point, that the mathematician will use the longer forms: f multiplied by x, the function( r x- ~4 R) y; z
f of x, f subscript x, line FX, the length of the segment FX, vector FX.5 k2 G7 M6 b0 q1 Y3 M3 ~% I8 S
Similarly, a mathematician is unlikely to make any distinction in speech (except sometimes * {: @% P6 ]& f) M9 m Q1 B+ J8 Ya di®erence in intonation or length of pauses) between pairs such as the following:( T- L. q/ n( c' j' T
x + (y + z) and (x + y) + z$ W X; d- h2 W2 n1 t, u% c
pax + b and pax + b, c9 I: U+ {5 T; t& z# \8 q6 |
an ¡ 1 and an¡1$ U2 B! S% H+ b! h! a1 D* n+ `
The primary reference has been David Hall with Tim Bowyer, Nucleus, English for Science 9 r6 j2 C* T8 h8 Hand Technology, Mathematics, Longman 1980. Glen Anderson and Matti Vuorinen have + `! H' t- T& R- S9 U& ?$ }given good comments and supplements.8 w8 o3 S! a$ B
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