2/4/2026

Mathematics in the Modern World – UNIT 2

Mathematical Language
& Symbols

Department of Mathematics and Physics

University of Santo Tomas

What is a language?

Language (n.): a
systematic means of
communicating ideas or
feelings by the use of
conventional symbols,
sounds, or marks having
understood meaning

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What is a language?

What is a language?

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What is a language?

± ∞ ∅
𝒙 𝛉, 𝛃, 𝛜, 𝛔

What is a language?

∀ ‘for every”

∃ “there exists”

∴ “therefore”

𝒙, 𝒑 𝒙 , 𝒇(𝒙) ,
sum, product, integral

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Language is growing.

Language is growing.

3x3x3x3x3 𝟑𝟓
𝟓

𝟑
𝒊 𝟏

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Phrase vs
Sentence

Phrase
a group of words that expresses a concept

Sentence
a group of words that are put together to
mean something

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Expressions
vs
Equations

Expression
a group of number or variable
with or without mathematical operation

Equation
a group of number or variable
with or without mathematical operation
separated by an equal sign

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Expression vs sentence

Expression
Sum of two numbers

𝑥+𝑦

Expression vs sentence

Expression Equation
Sum of two numbers Sum of two numbers is 8.

𝑥+𝑦 𝑥+𝑦 =8

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Translate the
following to
mathematical
expressions
/equations.

English words to mathematics

English phrase/sentence Mathematical symbols

Product of two numbers
Three more than twice a number
Two less than half a number is 15.
The sum of three distinct numbers is at
least 10.
The total cost of printing a shirt is ₱80
per shirt and ₱3000 a month to lease the
heat-press machine.
The price of the house increased by 8%.
The profit is the difference of total
revenue and total cost.

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English words to mathematics

English phrase/sentence Mathematical symbols

Product of two numbers 𝐴×𝐵 or 𝐴𝐵
Three more than twice a number 2𝑥 + 3
Two less than half a number is 15. 1
𝑦 − 2 = 15
2
The sum of three distinct numbers is at 𝑥 + 𝑦 + 𝑧 ≥ 10
least 10.
The total cost of printing a shirt is ₱80 𝑇𝐶 = 80𝑄 + 3000
per shirt and ₱3000 a month to lease the
heat-press machine.
The price of the house increased by 8%. 𝑃 =𝑃 + 0.08 𝑃
The profit is the difference of total 𝑃 = 𝑇𝑅 − 𝑇𝐶
revenue and total cost.

Classify the following:

Is it a Phrase or Sentence?
(1) The product of two numbers
(2) The sum of three integers is greater than 11.
(3) Half of the sum of 23 and 88
(4) The sum of two numbers is half their product.

Is it an Expression or Equation?
(1) 2𝑥 − 3
(2) 𝑥 = 1
(3) 𝑥 +
(4) 𝑥 + 2𝑥 + 3𝑥 + 4𝑥 + 5𝑥

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Characteristics of math language

• Precise
- able to make very fine distinctions

• Concise
- able to say things briefly

• Powerful
- able to express complex thoughts with
relative ease

Mathematics in the Modern World – UNIT 2

SETS

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Mathematics in the Modern World – UNIT 2

collection of objects,
called as elements

SETS

Set Notation

S
ROSTER
METHOD
1
2
3 𝑺 = 𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟑, 𝟒, 𝟓
4
5

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Set Notation

𝑺 = 𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟑, 𝟒, 𝟓

1∈𝑆 means “1 is an element of set 𝑆”

while

6∉𝑆 means “6 is NOT an element of set 𝑆”

Set Notation

𝑺 = 𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟑, 𝟒, 𝟓, …

𝑆 also contains 6,7,8, and so on – all positive integers

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Set Notation

𝑻 = … , −𝟑, −𝟐, −𝟏

𝑇 also contains -4,-5,-6, and so on – all negative integers

Set Notation

𝒁 = … , −𝟐, −𝟏, 𝟎, 𝟏, 𝟐, …

𝑍 also contains all integers

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Set Notation

What if I want to know the set containing

ALL real numbers between 0 and 1
(including 0 and 1)?

???

Set Notation

What if I want to know the set containing

ALL real numbers between 0 and 1
(including 0 and 1)?
Set-builder
notation
𝑆 = 𝑥 | 𝑥 ≥ 0 𝐴𝑁𝐷 𝑥 ≤ 1
“such that”

“𝑆 contains all 𝑥’s such that 𝑥 is greater than or equal to 0 AND

𝑥 is less than or equal to 1”

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Set Notation

What if I want to know the set containing

ALL real numbers between 0 and 1
(including 0 and 1)?
𝑆 = 𝑥|𝑥 ≥0 ∩ 𝑥 ≤1
𝑆 = 𝑥|0≤𝑥 ≤1

Some known sets

Empty set ∅ or

Set of natural numbers ℕ = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, …

Set of integers ℤ = … , −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, …

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Mathematics in the Modern World – UNIT 2

Determine whether each of the sets is a well-defined set or

not.

1. The set of good foods

2. The set of the six most beautiful flowers in the Philippines
3. The set of tall buildings in Makati city
4. The set of even integers
5. The set of rational numbers of the form 1/p, where p is a
counting number
6. The set of former presidents of the Philippines who are
alive at the present time
7. The set of real numbers larger than 75, 000
8. The set of good cities in which to live
9. The set consisting of the best soda drinks
10. The set of fine wines

MMW - MED 31

Using sets

Describe each set.

• {Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,

Friday, Saturday}
• {A, E, I, O, U}
• {Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars}
• {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}
• {2, 4, 6, 8, 10, …}
• {3, 5, 7, 9, 11}
• {1, 4, 9, 16, 25}

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Using sets

Use the roster method to write each of the given sets.

1. Months with 31 days

2. Colors of the rainbow
3. Dog breeds that lay egg
4. Three core Thomasian values

Subset

Set NOTATION:

1,2,3 ⊆ {1,2,3,4,5}

{1,2,3} is a subset of {1,2,3,4,5}

Subset

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1. Explain why 2  1, 2, 3 is incorrect.

2. Explain why 1  1, 2, 3 is incorrect.

Complement of a set

NOTATIONS: 𝐴 – any set

𝐴′ – the complement of set 𝐴

𝐴′ The set 𝐴′ contains

elements in the
universal set which
𝐴 are not contained
in set 𝐴.

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Complement of a set (Examples)

Universal set → 𝐔 = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0}

If 𝐴 = 1,4,5,6 , then 𝐴 = {2,3,7,8,9,0}.

If 𝐵 = {1,2,3}, then 𝐵 = {4,5,6,7,8,9,0}.

If 𝐶 = {0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9}, then 𝐶 = ∅

Set operation (Union)

The union of sets A and B, denoted by U, is the

set that contains all the elements that belong to A
or to B or to both.
A  B  x x  A or x  B

U
A B

A B

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Set operation (Union)

Union of 𝐴 and 𝐵 EXAMPLE:

𝑨∪𝑩
Let 𝐴 = {1,3,4,5}
𝐵 = {3,4,7,8}.
𝐴 𝐵
Then
𝐴 ∪ 𝐵 = {1,3,4,5,7,8}

Set operation (Intersection)

The intersection of sets A and B, denoted by ∩,

Is the set of elements common to both A and B.
A  B  x x  A a n d x  B 

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Set operation (Intersection)

Intersection of 𝐴 and 𝐵 EXAMPLE:

𝑨∩𝑩
Let 𝐴 = {1,3,4,5}
𝐴 𝐵 𝐵 = {3,4,7,8}.

Then
𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 = {3,4}

EXAMPLE:

Let U = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12}
A = 1,3,5,7,9,10
B = {1,2,3,5,7}
C = {2,4,6,7,8}
What is A∩(B∪ C)’?

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EXAMPLE:

Let U = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12}
A = 1,3,5,7,9,10
B = {1,2,3,5,7}
C = {2,4,6,7,8}
Begin with B∪ C.
B∪ C = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8}
Then (B∪ C)’ = {9,10,11,12}
So A∩(B∪ C)’ = {9,10}

EXAMPLE:

Shade the regions(s) corresponding to the give set

expression.

(𝐴′ ∩ 𝐵) ∩ 𝐶′

A B

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EXAMPLE:

Shade the regions(s) corresponding to the give set

expression.

𝐴′ ∪ (𝐵′ ∩ 𝐶)

A B

EXAMPLE:

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