Pronunciation of mathematical expressions# }# P9 R5 u# h: q& A& k% _
The pronunciations of the most common mathematical expressions are given in the list# d) s7 T! R8 E8 A$ V2 S
below. In general, the shortest versions are preferred (unless greater precision is necessary).6 y9 I+ }; }) Q7 I3 f: x
1. Logic : E. F+ Y7 ]" H/ O9 there exists1 t' l r- e$ \/ c' W& ?! D
8 for all 1 |) E: E( L# Tp ) q p implies q / if p, then q % F6 K5 c* j1 Up , q p if and only if q /p is equivalent to q / p and q are equivalent/ W9 @ G$ \' g) S. A. e g
2. Sets/ e( x% E$ \5 a5 w' Q5 y' S* r# N5 t
x 2 A x belongs to A / x is an element (or a member) of A . O$ ~7 d+ \- V( T- B8 Z( Ex =2 A x does not belong to A / x is not an element (or a member) of A 6 T% k' f+ H( J- u7 R; @A ½ B A is contained in B / A is a subset of B 3 N- M! ~4 _2 z% u3 ~: ?# e# J" o- @A ¾ B A contains B / B is a subset of A& C Z& U. {, k4 M0 l
A \ B A cap B / A meet B / A intersection B# {4 l" p9 p/ }$ _" n, }
A [ B A cup B / A join B / A union B 4 ~7 R7 u0 ]* J' M5 i- z% U0 t: }8 }A n B A minus B / the di®erence between A and B ! L5 A' H3 f0 A& B1 hA £ B A cross B / the cartesian product of A and B 7 w) J/ C0 t1 Y& q3. Real numbers 4 y: w. _) t/ n1 [! H7 M7 ?x + 1 x plus one( l! p& Y$ L r: a$ w; I; z
x ¡ 1 x minus one 7 W' m; U6 h$ Xx § 1 x plus or minus one $ y1 r$ W) R" {7 Nxy xy / x multiplied by y " _8 Z: q/ x, n% U(x ¡ y)(x + y) x minus y, x plus y + L1 q0 S4 s, ~1 B yx ! a8 M( R) c: F" _7 P- c) m/ @7 \0 Uy : E! p* \# z/ Ox over y, Y R$ N- q& l& ` ]
= the equals sign" j9 J) f* L2 C. D% i
x = 5 x equals 5 / x is equal to 5 6 I& y, N8 F# I' U' J( v6 Rx 6= 5 x (is) not equal to 5 $ ?6 e/ b6 {# w- V1- W) G7 d r: {7 Q& k4 e) w
x ´ y x is equivalent to (or identical with) y 1 o! A& J+ ~ c1 X/ A' ^4 b9 Xx 6´ y x is not equivalent to (or identical with) y8 m' f1 v# Q" q8 _6 [! Y
x > y x is greater than y 3 I9 I. e) U8 K4 Lx ¸ y x is greater than or equal to y 6 p) t% q, h! [5 vx < y x is less than y$ ^# O$ f; Q" y& w
x · y x is less than or equal to y# s$ m' U; }( @0 k6 q" {: }$ a
0 < x < 1 zero is less than x is less than 1 ; }$ Z2 }0 [5 ]0 · x · 1 zero is less than or equal to x is less than or equal to 1 # |4 ?" ~2 f' pjxj mod x / modulus x ?+ Q1 J: F, F# }4 U0 s: R; p
x2 x squared / x (raised) to the power 2# G5 X3 i# L3 l3 c6 a/ }
x3 x cubed' {3 S2 s8 o' N; g
x4 x to the fourth / x to the power four 6 F) P" r8 f9 Z8 Wxn x to the nth / x to the power n3 f- j" S( @) j5 h6 j
x¡n x to the (power) minus n2 E* \: U" \, n( d
px (square) root x / the square root of x . ~. D& v. r3 xp3 x cube root (of) x 3 N6 I* `) N6 `( a1 l6 B. u- p6 q5 e! ?p4 x fourth root (of) x $ D( j+ b2 i" Y2 V% Y5 F" _npx nth root (of) x # p) \4 ~0 Z: o/ M( k9 b) O(x + y)2 x plus y all squared) O3 r, w d* r" e
³x# _ ]7 Q. E9 j+ d' B$ H5 b
y . u1 J r: n3 _/ h6 [! N" r1 W´2& t/ _% K. \) U; q4 N' C6 H
x over y all squared6 s2 Z8 q8 \1 _; l
n! n factorial 8 a; }1 F/ W7 j0 n, w. w5 e4 S^x x hat8 t1 G+ v# G6 m" s9 |7 Z) t; G
¹x x bar , W! s! I& ]9 T4 _3 W~x x tilde ! R: O6 v5 E q" T' O+ b; gxi xi / x subscript i / x su±x i / x sub i D" v! o$ J% c) s* F! f
Xn 9 T8 H$ A- M8 ~5 ^: }+ w' T$ |i=1 ; Z3 r7 f8 E8 l* Z$ [2 j) p9 vai the sum from i equals one to n ai / the sum as i runs from 1 to n of the ai 5 s2 P' a9 N! z8 F& y g! D4. Linear algebra ! f/ w* t6 m" l3 u& M7 ukxk the norm (or modulus) of x % e, b. x% ]- d5 n2 jO¡¡!A OA / vector OA ; s6 u% ~: Q1 tOA OA / the length of the segment OA7 f+ Y& h, `+ {! U0 j; N7 _. }8 j
AT A transpose / the transpose of A P+ Q- \: ~0 D/ gA¡1 A inverse / the inverse of A: V) v1 Z2 X0 e
2# [7 _; z$ v6 _1 ^
5. Functions " K* Y: i* A3 f3 C M3 V' J6 v9 df(x) fx / f of x / the function f of x( ^+ S8 y* g3 @! [. K
f : S ! T a function f from S to T9 H2 {2 v( Z4 M0 w X" l9 k
x 7! y x maps to y / x is sent (or mapped) to y 6 t, ^8 c- }1 N, Q! af0(x) f prime x / f dash x / the (¯rst) derivative of f with respect to x 0 A8 g) i' k' h9 A/ ?1 hf00(x) f double{prime x / f double{dash x / the second derivative of f with% C' P* y% Z% z2 I, Z) i
respect to x ! ^# T- X8 ], U x4 Lf000(x) f triple{prime x / f triple{dash x / the third derivative of f with respect $ Z) b. f, M) Z0 f5 v) c2 Qto x& J' W+ y' K7 m7 P* k% W6 o6 m
f(4)(x) f four x / the fourth derivative of f with respect to x 7 {4 g! ^9 L' Y& L$ X3 _9 A) H@f$ S" Y! p* x3 t
@x1, L- Z8 S w! v( d- \
the partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 - y+ }" P1 L% E$ U2 F' X@2f9 r) c. {& o# f, {8 i% t
@x21 " |8 b% S" |; p3 N3 n2 R: d; a7 Dthe second partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 1 U+ U3 _' _, f AZ / t( V; `" c4 q# P7 p' d1 8 w# ], @3 j( t0( Y; u" b8 m& `$ }7 M
the integral from zero to in¯nity9 P0 E+ _7 L) d, d+ ^& g8 G4 ^
lim ' G- E" ^: z# |. r9 `! lx!0 ' n% f# ]& c. B$ M Mthe limit as x approaches zero. n# i0 h) \% T2 f% _' l
lim& l9 Q, w' W9 f& F @% O
x!+0 ; z) G& y2 S# `3 f5 x& }0 ^+ Rthe limit as x approaches zero from above4 i& n( z) B. ]
lim: z+ g# l# J* V
x!¡09 z1 ]/ K6 M: [8 ]% [
the limit as x approaches zero from below 1 a7 u2 b* k7 `! i" ?loge y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y ~' t( R0 d- x% i! h/ b' Sln y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y7 N' I6 Z6 Z/ v" u2 r: L
Individual mathematicians often have their own way of pronouncing mathematical expressions- i0 h% _2 B5 v
and in many cases there is no generally accepted \correct" pronunciation. ; }7 W/ n3 _5 @8 l, ODistinctions made in writing are often not made explicit in speech; thus the sounds fx may . o7 }# q6 x8 o& {7 D5 B3 Hbe interpreted as any of: fx, f(x), fx, FX, FX, F¡¡X!. The di®erence is usually made clear & W+ f/ E1 v% t7 W/ j/ l `by the context; it is only when confusion may occur, or where he/she wishes to emphasise7 w) c0 [+ s* s) g% K' L& T! {( D
the point, that the mathematician will use the longer forms: f multiplied by x, the function; w, w1 K- L2 k5 d; T
f of x, f subscript x, line FX, the length of the segment FX, vector FX. ' L9 w2 c0 ~+ \$ x3 x! w! i1 ^Similarly, a mathematician is unlikely to make any distinction in speech (except sometimes " y+ C; r5 f+ @, v! ~" R9 Ba di®erence in intonation or length of pauses) between pairs such as the following: $ i0 u; ^1 O, nx + (y + z) and (x + y) + z $ P& a* s& w9 N% e7 S7 B1 ppax + b and pax + b# H- o6 a4 S# D# m. g
an ¡ 1 and an¡1+ T8 g5 @# @. [) |
The primary reference has been David Hall with Tim Bowyer, Nucleus, English for Science3 w. S6 F& v# m Z
and Technology, Mathematics, Longman 1980. Glen Anderson and Matti Vuorinen have * i+ a5 C' k9 w) P* }given good comments and supplements. . N% B$ f1 E$ I @8 {3