Mathematical
Language
G - M AT H 1 0 0
M I S A L I N A C A R M E L I TA
CERVILLON
Importance
of 1. To understand the
expressed ideas.
Language 2. To communicate ideas
of Math to others.
Characteristics of Language
1. precise 2. concise 3. powerful
exact, accurate, say things briefly express complex
specific thought with ease
Comparison between the
English language and Mathematical language
English Mathematics
symbols English alphabet and English alphabet, numerals, Greek
punctuations letters, grouping symbols, special
symbols
Name Noun Expressions
Complete Sentence Sentence
thought
Action Verbs Operations, and other actions
(e.g. simplify, rationalize)
What’s in a Verbs Equality, inequality, membership in
sentence a set
Attribute of a Fact or fiction True or false
sentence
1. Give the verb in the following sentences:
a. The capital of Cavite is Imus. Answer: is
b. ½ = 0.5 Answer: =
c. 3 + 5 = 7 Answer: =
(Note: + is a connective)
2. Determine whether each example is true or false.
Examples : a. The name Cavite evolved from the word “Kawit” or “Cauit,” meaning hook,
referring to the shape of the land along the coast of Bacoor Bay. ([Link] -
lgu/historical-background#:~:text=The%20name%20Cavite%20evolved%20from,to%20conform%20to%20their%20accentuation.)
Answer: true
b. ½ = 0.5 Answer: true
c. 3 + 5 = 7 Answer: false
True or False?
• 1. The word “cat” begins with the letter “k”. False
• 2. 1 + 2 = 4
False
• 3. The cat is black. Cannot be determined out of
context
• 4. x = 1 Sometimes true/sometimes false
• 5. t + 3 = 3 + t True
English/Math
expressions/sentences
ENGLISH MATHEMATICS
Name given to an NOUN (person, EXPRESSION
object of interest place, thing) Example:
Example: 28, a+b , 1/3
Fatima, Cavite,
book
a complete thought SENTENCE SENTENCE
Example: Example:
DLSU-D is a x+y=z
prime university.
• a mathematical analogue of an English noun
• Examples of expressions or mathematical
objects
Expression in
• numbers ordered pairs
mathematics
• sets matrices
• functions vectors
1. language
Exercises: 2. 2
Determine
3. The word “cat” begins with the letter “k”.
whether the
following is an 4. 1 + 2 = 4
English noun or 5. -1/5
mathematical 6. x
expression, 7. x = 6
English sentence 8. x + x = 0
or mathematical
sentence :
The most common type of
problem involving in an
expression is to
“SIMPLIFY”.
SIMPLIFY
Simplify means to get a
different name for the
expression that in some
way is simple.
fewer symbols
SIMPLER fewer operations
means
better suited for current use
preferred style/format
Example: fewer symbols
10 – 2 + 4 and 12 are both names of the
same number but 12 uses fewer symbols
Example: fewer operations
10+10+10+10 and 4x10 are names of the same
number but 4X10 uses fewer operations. There are
three additions in 10+10+10+10 while only one
multiplication in 4x10.
Example: better suited for
current use
(1 yard) / (3 feet) is another name for the
number 1 for converting feet to yard
Example: preferred style or format
The number 5/10 and ½ they are both the same
number but ½ is preferred because it is in simplest form
or reduced form.
analogue of an English sentence
Mathematical a correct arrangement of
Sentence mathematical symbols that states a
complete thought
contains a verb
Translate into mathematical expression
(use the variables x and y if applicable) :
1. The sum of a number and 10. Answer:
x+10
The grammar 2. Six more than a number Answer:
of x+6
mathematics 3. The product of two numbers Answer: xy
4. One half times the sum of two numbers. Answer:
½(x+y)
5. Five less than a number. Answer: x-
5
Some difficulties in math language
1. The word “is” could mean equality, inequality or membership in a set.
2. Different uses of a number; to express quantity (cardinal), to indicate
the order (ordinal), and as a label (nominal)
3. Mathematical objects may be represented in many ways, such as
sets and functions
4. The words "and' & "or" means different from its English use
Numbers (4 operations
and properties)
Objects that we
use in Variables
mathematics
Operations (unary &
binary)
Variable
• a symbol used to represent an arbitrary element in a given
set
• a placeholder when you want to talk about something but
either
a) you imagine that it has one or more values but you
don’t know what they are
b) you want whatever you say about it to be equally true
for all elements in a given set and you do not want to
be restricted to consider only a particular value.
Kinds of Mathematical Statements
[Link] Statement
[Link] Statement
[Link] Statement
A conditional statement says that if one thing is
true then some other thing also has to be true.
Example:
If 100 is divisible by 50, then 100 is divisible by 10.
If it rains today , then it is a humid day.
A universal statement says that a
certain property is true for all
elements in a set.
Example:
All positive numbers are greater than zero.
All integers are rational numbers.
Given a property that may or may not be true, an
existential statement says that there is at least one
thing for which the property is true.
Example:
There is a prime number that is even.
1. Sets
Founder
Definition
Operations
Georg Cantor, in full Georg Ferdinand Ludwig Philipp Cantor,
What is a set?
A set is a well-defined collection of distinct objects. The
objects that make up a set (also known as the set's
elements or members) can be anything: numbers, people,
letters of the alphabet, other sets, and so on.
Operations on
sets
Universal Sets and • The universal set is a general set that
Venn Diagrams
contains all elements under discussion.
• John Venn (1843 – 1923) created Venn
diagrams to show the visual relationship among sets.
• Universal set is represented by a rectangle
• Subsets within the universal set are depicted by
circles, or sometimes ovals or other shapes.
• Empty set or Null set is a set that has no element.
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31
Example 1
Determining Sets From a Venn Diagram
• Use the Venn diagram to determine each of
the following sets:
a. U
U = { O , ∆ , $, M, 5 }
b. A
A= { O,∆ }
c. The set of elements in U that are not in A.
{$, M, 5 }
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Representing Two Sets in a Venn Diagram
Disjoint Sets: Two sets that have Equal Sets: If A = B then
no elements in common. AB and B A.
Proper Subsets: All elements of Sets with Some Common Elements
set A are elements of set B. Some means “at least one”. The
representing the sets must overlap.
33
Example of Subset and Proper Subset
Example 2
Determining sets from a Venn Diagram
Use the Venn Diagram to
determine:
a. U
b. B
c. The set of elements in A but
not B Solutions:
d. The set of elements in U that a. U = { a, b, c, d, e, f, g }
are not in B b. B = {d, e }
e. The set of elements in both A c. {a, b, c }
and B.
d. {a, b, c, f, g }
e. {d}
35
The Complement of a Set
• The complement of set A, symbolized by A’ is
the set of all elements in the universal set that
are not in A. This idea can be expressed in
set-builder notation as follows:
A’ = {x | x U and x A}
• The shaded region represents the complement
of set A. This region lies outside the circle.
36
Example 3
Finding a Set’s Complement
Let U = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9} and A = {1, 3, 4, 7 }.
Find A’.
Solution:
37
The Intersection and Union of Sets
• The intersection of sets A and B, written A∩B, is the
set of elements common to both set A and set B.
This definition can be expressed in set-builder
notation as follows:
A∩B = { x | x A and xB}
• The union of sets A and B, written AUB is the set of
elements are in A or B or in both sets. This definition
can be expressed in set-builder notation as follows:
AUB = { x | x A or xB}
• For any set A:
• A∩Ø = Ø
• AUØ = A
38
Example 4
Finding the Intersection of Two Sets
• Find each of the following intersections:
a. {7, 8, 9, 10, 11} ∩ {6, 8, 10, 12}
b. {1, 3, 5, 7, 9} ∩ {2, 4, 6, 8}
c. {1, 3, 5, 7, 9} ∩ Ø
3/ 11/ 2026 39
Example 5
Finding the Union of Sets
Find each of the following unions:
a. {7, 8, 9, 10, 11} U {6, 8, 10, 12} a. {6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12}
b. {1, 3, 5, 7, 9} U {2, 4, 6, 8} b. {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}
c. {1, 3, 5, 7, 9} U Ø c. {1, 3, 5, 7, 9}
Sect i on 2. 3 3/ 11/ 2026 40
Example 6 Performing Set Operations
Always perform any operations inside parenthesis first!
Given:
U = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}
A = { 1, 3, 7, 9 } Find: a. (A U B)’ and b. A’ ∩ B’
B = { 3, 7, 8, 10 }
41
Example 6 (Solution)
Performing Set Operations
Always perform any operations inside parenthesis first!
Given:
U = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}
A = { 1, 3, 7, 9 }
B = { 3, 7, 8, 10 }
• Find
a. (A U B)’ b. A’ ∩ B’
Solution: Solution
A U B = {1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10} A’ = {2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10}
(A U B)’ = {2, 4, 5, 6}
B’ = {1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9}
A’ ∩ B’ = {2, 4, 5, 6 }
3/ 11/ 2026 Sect i on 2. 3 42
CARTESIAN
PRODUCTS
Given sets A and B, the
Cartesian product of A
and B denoted by A B
and read “ A cross B”,
is the set of all ordered
pairs (a, b), where a is in
A and is b is in B
Example: Cartesian Products
Solving Problems using Venn Diagrams
Problem 1:
150 college freshmen were interviewed. a) How many signed up only for a Math Class?
85 were registered for a Math class, b) How many signed up only for an English Class?
70 were registered for an English class, c) How many signed up for Math or English?
50 were registered for both Math and English. d) How many signed up neither for Math nor English?
Problem 2:
100 students were interviewed.
28 took PE, 31 took BIO, 42 took ENG, 9 took PE and BIO, 10 took PE and ENG, 6
took BIO and ENG, 4 took all three subjects.
a) How many students took none of the three subjects?
b) How many students took PE but not BIO or ENG?
c) How many students took BIO and PE but not ENG?
[Link]
More examples:
Problem 3:
Problem 4:
Problem 5: In a town 85% of the people speak Tamil, 40% speak English and 20% speak
Hindi. Also 32% speak Tamil and English, 13% speak Tamil and Hindi and 10% speak English
and Hindi, find the percentage of people who can speak all the three languages.
References
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[Link]
learners/
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