Pronunciation of mathematical expressions6 `2 \& ^! v( Z0 f
The pronunciations of the most common mathematical expressions are given in the list & Z* S9 o* f1 u0 ]below. In general, the shortest versions are preferred (unless greater precision is necessary). 4 e/ X- u1 \3 B1. Logic9 c" X# z& {* ?% }& P K
9 there exists$ @* ~( K' h L# o. i$ P
8 for all Y. o# _7 n' Z" i# O3 ~
p ) q p implies q / if p, then q 6 Y( `4 C! u# V) }p , q p if and only if q /p is equivalent to q / p and q are equivalent- b A0 k. m8 @5 W B
2. Sets 4 D; V( C5 G: \* B8 wx 2 A x belongs to A / x is an element (or a member) of A 5 }) k* }; I3 j4 F+ \% o9 X) Vx =2 A x does not belong to A / x is not an element (or a member) of A & A1 | H9 |( T6 ]& [A ½ B A is contained in B / A is a subset of B: }/ L% x* r- T2 I
A ¾ B A contains B / B is a subset of A1 P! s* N) ^' C! B
A \ B A cap B / A meet B / A intersection B" c% R+ d: b0 T8 _7 x4 |1 i
A [ B A cup B / A join B / A union B 5 u4 W' t+ ^% i7 k! T' E( n- bA n B A minus B / the di®erence between A and B ; `5 H# D, H! T0 R; i, BA £ B A cross B / the cartesian product of A and B & r3 Y' V1 ^$ }4 n) L+ M4 q1 L3. Real numbers1 }- {) u1 `9 I. g
x + 1 x plus one 9 U& j) {; i. W* Q5 |+ _8 U- Xx ¡ 1 x minus one 8 z' y, T+ [; r. L) Sx § 1 x plus or minus one ) q ~3 t. v% axy xy / x multiplied by y: n1 h' V* Q2 b# }
(x ¡ y)(x + y) x minus y, x plus y 1 h+ d: ?; ^, G: sx: a% d" k9 K5 @/ ^6 r' r. n% ^. y; {
y, e. b6 _2 t& V; U
x over y) S4 _9 {8 a* f9 M4 {1 l
= the equals sign3 ?) ~$ m8 L& ?
x = 5 x equals 5 / x is equal to 5. C7 D1 U( E- k
x 6= 5 x (is) not equal to 5 a( _) r2 @5 b' d. [1- G6 i+ n3 j- l
x ´ y x is equivalent to (or identical with) y - W! i3 C5 g& w) v, ix 6´ y x is not equivalent to (or identical with) y1 K9 F4 X5 s. t! ~" o5 @
x > y x is greater than y: s9 G! u9 `# f: U/ [: I5 g; C
x ¸ y x is greater than or equal to y8 O% F: p7 t2 O8 U" c: |' e! D
x < y x is less than y - E$ x0 Q( t3 S. Q V& Hx · y x is less than or equal to y! {+ G {: p7 s% c, b$ c
0 < x < 1 zero is less than x is less than 1! C8 i. u% ?. Y6 ~$ \( a4 g6 f6 T
0 · x · 1 zero is less than or equal to x is less than or equal to 12 z7 H) m# r# ~$ m6 @+ }
jxj mod x / modulus x 2 p6 `* R1 }. z5 c2 Sx2 x squared / x (raised) to the power 2# {) l" L" m2 f) M9 u, h
x3 x cubed) U* e6 ~3 Q- s( O8 W& U
x4 x to the fourth / x to the power four % X- G% X! s# M8 x- _2 v }xn x to the nth / x to the power n0 K* ^4 R- y4 v; m& R G
x¡n x to the (power) minus n A5 y7 [) G! f+ q
px (square) root x / the square root of x " N) t* P; \4 |9 v4 B' qp3 x cube root (of) x4 P: v/ U) g1 ~, d9 @
p4 x fourth root (of) x+ m# Z9 l e" f
npx nth root (of) x0 S9 Y/ d0 Q9 @8 t
(x + y)2 x plus y all squared9 t- M1 }1 C) ?) o- L
³x$ a [* i9 U( J: a8 U2 H) G
y # f; W( T I' v5 q´2 \' J4 o- K" M) Y1 M) i; ?5 ux over y all squared E7 ~& ~* L" N- |9 i
n! n factorial- w: ]3 R, P) ]3 }; Q9 I5 c! T
^x x hat9 o0 x; r* F, U+ U+ F3 X$ N
¹x x bar 6 |, H) T0 N( M& W~x x tilde & F: Q) Y' ?1 p1 ]xi xi / x subscript i / x su±x i / x sub i, T. l% @6 c, ?7 d' N
Xn & a+ V& ?1 o. ^9 B# ?- Ai=1 ( L8 j& d/ T/ \4 `/ P+ E6 S3 p/ tai the sum from i equals one to n ai / the sum as i runs from 1 to n of the ai ; P! `8 \) a4 z# T9 [2 q- v5 T' ]4. Linear algebra: |0 n$ [ Q2 ?3 [
kxk the norm (or modulus) of x ! A1 }) k8 i( D. k/ O; L5 k& I0 _, _0 CO¡¡!A OA / vector OA ' R5 w6 h, U8 A0 l! LOA OA / the length of the segment OA1 @' n9 K6 P' T% S2 X! N: U" h
AT A transpose / the transpose of A ! \4 F, u* n& Q% _" C$ a* ]A¡1 A inverse / the inverse of A/ ~& `- H! O% L ^3 W( X
2 3 m) G" N: V9 A1 b5. Functions( Y% b8 u4 O0 @- I4 R) C
f(x) fx / f of x / the function f of x ' F+ y6 ]- C/ B' {( ?# O9 X5 \3 Rf : S ! T a function f from S to T " b. |4 R- j) W: C$ t& Q4 D( |3 d7 vx 7! y x maps to y / x is sent (or mapped) to y 2 v }% o; p+ \+ _/ T2 q0 T$ Pf0(x) f prime x / f dash x / the (¯rst) derivative of f with respect to x & J' P9 C0 r$ |( O! U* A: Df00(x) f double{prime x / f double{dash x / the second derivative of f with/ |+ u% t" H2 O2 t
respect to x) `9 c' W4 X4 q; f; V3 F i
f000(x) f triple{prime x / f triple{dash x / the third derivative of f with respect" n6 `5 i* _$ u$ q1 z/ H, V
to x / _) } {$ m, X, G! A" e/ x8 Wf(4)(x) f four x / the fourth derivative of f with respect to x: e/ H/ g( C8 e. K ~
@f o; Q/ n O: o* G4 j@x1( l( G+ @0 Z6 j, ^- Q8 J# B- l
the partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1 % e0 O6 o. c! I; O@2f1 D1 |/ o" S: F
@x21- o( X" }- `2 h1 p2 Q) E
the second partial (derivative) of f with respect to x1& \5 _# ?; H: O7 _- T
Z 0 z! I" j5 n$ @18 v6 o' ~8 n) v. F* r9 I8 _; [) a
0 + O, B( S" g8 \ }1 Uthe integral from zero to in¯nity 3 J' v$ K; h. [. R- w/ q, C+ klim - a4 ]6 K$ A. m8 O& N* d7 Vx!0- z6 s/ M0 Z: [5 F2 `9 `
the limit as x approaches zero 5 n7 t; f2 Q9 a- Mlim2 `1 q3 d+ p* F9 j
x!+0 * _4 u5 V1 X% L K Sthe limit as x approaches zero from above. C, e3 I+ X9 r; m- N! u/ o
lim! _* z- B! Y7 K. N) J6 U3 t+ j4 K
x!¡0 " V, y9 c- d6 K# p1 t" Xthe limit as x approaches zero from below ; C' K. s* [5 F$ ?, zloge y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y0 z% z* n" B4 ^% n, U$ H
ln y log y to the base e / log to the base e of y / natural log (of) y( z0 M# Z# _6 s
Individual mathematicians often have their own way of pronouncing mathematical expressions . `% b/ E- W e) i) [and in many cases there is no generally accepted \correct" pronunciation. 7 i7 x# y+ G+ w9 \( E; |Distinctions made in writing are often not made explicit in speech; thus the sounds fx may- W) o% |2 a7 a# d
be interpreted as any of: fx, f(x), fx, FX, FX, F¡¡X!. The di®erence is usually made clear " E9 u- [- F; ]( Z) [by the context; it is only when confusion may occur, or where he/she wishes to emphasise* h4 B$ J0 [7 w) Z; G( a; n
the point, that the mathematician will use the longer forms: f multiplied by x, the function9 }2 k; t* X) V, {5 ]" P( {
f of x, f subscript x, line FX, the length of the segment FX, vector FX. U h2 u2 R6 Z! D: V% ^Similarly, a mathematician is unlikely to make any distinction in speech (except sometimes8 l3 l% C. F1 m! _' F$ W
a di®erence in intonation or length of pauses) between pairs such as the following:6 e- l F/ M! E; u
x + (y + z) and (x + y) + z ; \. @# [. k epax + b and pax + b* [ b$ `0 }/ |
an ¡ 1 and an¡1 J) `! o8 B' X) F6 w; @The primary reference has been David Hall with Tim Bowyer, Nucleus, English for Science ' c) D) @' T Q" S5 Jand Technology, Mathematics, Longman 1980. Glen Anderson and Matti Vuorinen have+ |; w" ?; U r# c D4 n
given good comments and supplements.0 C) g: |% H$ ]' i6 T, q' F8 a2 ?2 _
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