1

Mathematics through the

Eyes of the World

A Learning Package for

GEMM- Mathematics in the Modern World

PATRICIA LOUISSE L. GARCIA

This is a gender-sensitive instructional material

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Mathematics Through the Eyes of the World
A Learning Package for GE MM – Mathematics in the Modern World

by

Patricia Louisse L. Garcia

and
Jose Rizal Memorial State University

All rights reserved. No part of this course module may be reproduced or used in any
manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the
use of brief quotations in a book review.

Page and cover designed by Patricia Louisse L. Garcia

Editor:
ISBN: XXX-X-XXXXXX-X
First Edition, 2021.

Published by:

JOSE RIZAL MEMORIAL STATE UNIVERSITY

Gov. Guarding Adaza St. Sta Cruz, Dapitan City, 7101
Tel. No.(065)908-8294
[Link]@[Link]

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 “FOR CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION PURPOSES ONLY”

In this unit, ...

In this unit, you will recognize how you can communicate through
Mathematics. Like any other language, when we try to learn it for the first time
we tend to encounter obstacles. Mathematics is no different it has rules and
grammar that we need to follow and we need to understand it.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

 Discuss the language, symbols, and conventions of mathematics;
 Explain the nature of mathematics as a language
 Perform operations on mathematical expressions correctly, its basic concepts
and logic; and
 Appreciate that mathematics is a useful language

PRE-TEST

Instructions: Choose the letter that corresponds to the correct answer.

1. Which of the following is not a mathematical symbol?

a) 𝑥𝑥 c) ∃
b) + d) 𝜋𝜋
2. Simplify 4 – 3[4-2(6-3)] ÷ 2 .
a) -1 c) 14
b) 7 d) 3
3. What is a statement that is either TRUE or FALSE?
a) Connective c) Denial
b) Proposition d) Logic
4. Which of the following is not a specification of a set?
a) Listing Sets c) Set-Builder Notation
b) Roster Method d) Recursive Rules
5. Which of the following is not a Basic Concept of Mathematics?
a) Set c) Relation
b) Function d) Logic

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 “FOR CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION PURPOSES ONLY”

CONTENT

The Language, Symbols, Syntax and Rules of Mathematics

The language of mathematics is the system used by mathematicians to

communicate mathematical ideas among themselves. This language consists of
a substrate of some natural language (for example English) using technical terms
and grammatical conventions that are peculiar to mathematical discourse,
supplemented by a highly specialized symbolic notation for mathematical
formulas.

Mathematics as a language has symbols to express a formula or to

represent a constant. It has syntax to make the expression well-formed to make
the characters and symbols clear and valid that do not violate the rules.
Mathematical symbols can designate numbers (constants), variables, operations,
functions, brackets, punctuation, and grouping to help determine order of
operations, and other aspects of logical syntax. A mathematical concept is
independent of the symbol chosen to represent it, In short, convention dictates
the meaning.

The language of mathematics (Wikipedia) makes it easy to express the

kinds of symbols, syntax and rules that mathematicians like to do and
characterized by the following:

a. precise (able to make very fine distinctions)

Example: The use of mathematical symbol is only done based on
based on its meaning and purpose, Like + means add, - means
subtract, x multiply and ÷ means divide.

b. concise (able to say things briefly)

Example: The long English sentence can be shortened using
mathematical symbols. Eight plus two equals ten which means:
8 + 2 = 10.

c. Powerful (able to express complex thoughts with relative ease)

Example: 1he application of critical thinking and problem solving skill
requires the comprehension, analysis and reasoning to obtain the
correct solution.

Writing Mathematical Language as an Expression or a Sentence

In mathematics, an expression or mathematical expression is a finite

combination of symbols that is well-formed according to rules that depend on the

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context. It is a correct arrangement of mathematical symbols used to represent a
mathematical object of interest. An expression does not state a complete thought;
it does not make sense to ask if an expression is true or false.

The most common expression types are numbers, sets, and functions.
Numbers have lots of different names: for example, the expressions:

5 2+3 10/2 (6-2)+1 1+1+1+1+1,

all look different, but are all just different names for the same number. This
simple idea-that numbers have lots of different names-is extremely important in
mathematics. The basic syntax for entering mathematical formulas or expressions
in the system enables you to quickly enter expressions using 2-D notation. The most
common mistake is to forget parentheses "( )". For example, the expression: 1/(x+1)
is different from 1/x+1 which the system interprets as (1/x) + 1.

Examples:

The use of expressions ranges from the simple:

8x-5 (linear polynomial)

𝟕𝟕𝒙𝒙𝟐𝟐 + 𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒 − 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 (quadratic polynomial)

𝒙𝒙−𝟐𝟐
(rational fraction)
𝒙𝒙𝟐𝟐 +𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏

to the complex:

1 2𝜋𝜋 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
∫
2𝜋𝜋 0 𝑎𝑎+𝑏𝑏 sin 𝜃𝜃
For example, in the usual notation of arithmetic, the expression 1+2 x 3 is well-
formed, but the following expression is not: x4) x+,/y.

On the other hand, a mathematical sentence is the analogue of an English

sentence; it is a correct arrangement of mathematical symbols that states a
complete thought. Sentences have verbs. In the mathematical sentence 3+4, the
verb is “=”.

A sentence can be (always) true, (always) false, or sometimes

true/sometimes false. For example, the sentence 1+2=3' is true. The sentence
1+2=4 is false.

The sentence x=2 is sometimes true/sometimes false: it is true when x is 2,

and false otherwise. The sentence ‘x+3 = 3+x' is (always) true, no matter what
number is chosen for x.

Mathematical Convention

A mathematical convention is a fact, name, notation, or usage which is generally

agreed upon by mathematicians. For instance, the fact that one evaluates

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multiplication before addition in the expression (2 + 3) x 4 is merely conventional.
There is nothing inherently significant about the order of operations.
Mathematicians abide by conventions in order to allow other mathematicians to
understand what they write without constantly having to redefine basic terms. The
following symbols are commonly used in the order of operations:

SYMBOL MEANING EXAMPLE

+ Add 3+7=10
- Subtract 5-2=3
X Multiplication 4x3=12
÷ Divide 20÷5=4
/ Divide 20/4=5
𝝅𝝅 pi A=𝜋𝜋𝑟𝑟 2
∞ Infinity ∞ is endless
= Equals 1+1=2
≈ Approximately equal to 𝜋𝜋 = 3.14
≠ not equal to 𝜋𝜋 ≠ 2
< Less than 2<3
≤ Less than or equal to x≤1
(the value of x is from 1
to negative infinity)
> More than 3>2
≥ x≥1
(the value of x is from 1
to positive infinity)
� Square root √4 = 2
(“radical sign”)
° Degrees 20°
∴ Therefore a=b
∴b=a

Perform Operations on Mathematical Expressions Correctly

In simplifying mathematical expressions, the following order of operations is

one critical point to observe. Order of operations is the hierarchy of mathematical
operations. It is the set of rules that determines which operations should be done
before or after others. Before, we used to have the MDAS, that stands for
Multiplication, Division, Addition and Subtraction. It was changed to use PEMDAS
which means Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division and Addition
and Subtraction. But now, most scientific calculators follow BODMAS, that is
Brackets, Order, Division and Multiplication, Addition and Subtraction.

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BODMAS EXPLANATION PEMDAS

B Brackets
P
These act as a Parentheses
sort of override
for the rest of ()
the order of
operations.
Work out
everything
inside the
brackets first.

O Order
E
Anything to the Exponents
(indices) power of
anything else
𝑥𝑥 𝑛𝑛 goes next. This 𝑥𝑥 𝑛𝑛
tends to help
to make
complicated
expressions
look a bit
neater; if things
were done in a
different order
you’d need a
lot more
brackets.

DM Division and
MD
These go AT Multiplication
Multiplication THE SAME TIME. and Division
They are of
× 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 ÷ equal × 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 ÷
importance
and should be
applied from
LEFT TO RIGHT.
This is because
multiplication
and division
are inverse
operations and
essentially the
same thing.

AS Addition and
AS
Like with Addition and
Subtraction division and Subtraction
multiplication,
+ 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 − + and – have + 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 −
equal
importance so
should be
done at the
same time(LEFT
TO RIGHT).

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 The order of operations or BODMAS/PEMDAS is merely a set of rules that
prioritize the sequence of operations starting from the most important to the least
important

Step 1: Do as much as you can to simplify everything inside the parenthesis

first
Step 2: Simplify every exponential number in the numerical expression
Step 3: Multiply and divide whichever comes first, from left to right
Step 4: Add and subtract whichever comes first, from left to right
Examples:

1. Evaluate: (11-5) x 2 – 3 + 1
Solution:
=6x2–3+1
= 12 – 3 + 1
=9+1
= 10
2. Evaluate: 10 ÷ 2 + 12 ÷ 2 x 3
Solution:
Using the PEMDAS rule, we need to evaluate the division and
multiplication before subtraction and addition. It is recommended that you
put in parentheses to remind yourself the order of operation.
From the given, 10 ÷ 2 + 12 ÷ 2 x 3
= (10 ÷2) + (12 ÷ 2 x 3)
= 5 + 18
= 23
3. Simplify 4 – 3[4-2(6-3)] ÷ 2
= 4 – 3[4 - 2(3)] ÷ 2
= 4 – 3[4 – 6]÷ 2
= 4 – 3[-2] ÷ 2
=4+6÷2
=4+3
=7
4. Simplify 16 – 3(8-33)2 ÷ 5
Remember to simplify inside the parentheses before you square, because
(8 – 3)2 is not the same as 82 − 32 .
= 16 – 3(8-3)2 ÷ 5
= 16 – 3(5)2 ÷ 5
= 16 – 3(25)÷ 5
= 16 – 75 ÷ 5
= 16 – 15
=1

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The Four Basic Concepts of Mathematics

1. Set

A set is a collection of well-defined objects that contains no duplicates.

The objects in the set are called the elements of the set. To describe a set,
we use braces, and use capital letters to represent it.

Examples:
1) The books in the shelves in a library
2) The bank accounts in a bank.
3) The set of natural numbers N {1, 2, 3, ...}
4) The integer numbers Z = {… ,-3,-2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ....}
5) The rational number is the set of quotients of integers
𝑄𝑄 = {𝑝𝑝|𝑞𝑞 ∶ 𝑝𝑝, 𝑞𝑞 ∈ ℤ 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑞𝑞 ≠ 0}

The three dots in enumerating the elements of the set are called
ellipsis indicate a continuing pattern. A finite set contains elements that
can be counted and terminates at certain natural number, otherwise, it is
infinite set.

Examples:

Set A = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}

- the set of all even natural numbers less than or equal to 10. The order in
which the elements are listed is not relevant: i.e., the set {2, 4, 6, 8, 10} is
the same as the set {8, 4, 2, 10, 6}

There is exactly one set, the empty set, or null set, ∅ or { }, which has
no members at all. A set with only one member is called a singleton or a
singleton set. ("singleton of a").

Specification of Sets

There are three main ways to specify a set:

(1) List Notation/Roster Method

- by listing all its members

- list names of elements of a set, separate them by commas and enclose

them in braces “ { } “ :

Examples:

1) {1, 12, 45},

2) { George Washington, Bill Clinton },

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3) { a, b, d, m },
4) "Three-dot abbreviation": { 1,2, ..., 100 }

(2) Predicate Notation/Rule Method/Set-Builder Notation

- by stating a property of its elements. It has a property that the members

of the set share (a condition or a predicate which holds for members of this
set).

Examples:

1) { x|x is a natural number and x < 8 } means "the set of all x such that x is
a natural number and is less than 8"
2) { x|x is a letter of Russian alphabet }
3) { y l y is a student of UMass and y is older than 25 }

(3) Recursive Rules

-by defining a set or rules which generates or defines its members

Examples:

The set 𝐸𝐸 of even numbers greater than 3:

1) 4 ∈ 𝐸𝐸
2) if𝑥𝑥 ∈ 𝐸𝐸, then 𝑥𝑥 + 2 ∈ 𝐸𝐸
3) nothing else belongs to 𝐸𝐸.

Equal Sets

Two Sets are equal if they contain exactly the same elements
Examples:

1. {3, 8, 9} = {9, 8, 3)
2. {6,7, 7, 7,7) = {6, 7)
3. {1, 3, 5, 7} = {3, 5}

Equivalent Sets

Two sets are equivalent if they contain the same number of elements.

Example:

Which of the following sets are equivalent?

{𝜃𝜃, 𝛽𝛽, 𝜙𝜙}, {∞, 𝜔𝜔, 𝜌𝜌}, {1,2,3}, {𝑎𝑎, 𝑏𝑏, 𝑐𝑐 }, {♠, ♣, ♦}

Solution: All of the given sets are equivalent. Note that no two of
them are equal, but they all have the same number of elements.

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Universal Set

A set that contains all the elements considered in a particular

situation and denoted by U.

Example:

1. Suppose we list the digits only. Then,

U = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}, since U includes all the digits.
2. Suppose we consider the whole numbers. Then
U {0,1, 2, 3, …} since U contains all whole numbers.

Subsets

A set A is called a subset of set B if every element of A is also an

element of B. "A is a subset of B is written as A ⊆ B”

Example:

1. A = {7, 9} is a subset of B = {6, 9, 7}

2. D = (10, 8, 6} is a subset of G {10, 8, 6}

A proper subset is a subset that is not equal to the original set,

otherwise improper subset.

Example:

Given the set {3, 5, 7} :

Proper subsets : {}, {5, 7}, {3, 5, {3, 7)
Improper subset : {3, 5, 7}.
Cardinality of the Set

It is the number of distinct elements belonging to a finite set. It 1s

also cardinal number of the set A denoted by 𝒏𝒏{𝑨𝑨) or 𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄(𝑨𝑨) and |𝐴𝐴|.

Example:

1. A = { 1, 2 , 3, 4, 5} then |𝐴𝐴| = 5 since there are 5 unique elements.

2. B = { 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5} then |𝐵𝐵| = 5 since there are only 5 unique
elements. The other 1 and 5 are only repetition of the same
elements, therefore they are not included in counting the
cardinality.

Power Set

It is the family of all the subsets of A denoted by 𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃 (𝐴𝐴).

Given set A {x, y}:

𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷 (𝑨𝑨) = {∅, {x}, {y}, {x,y} }or { x |x is a subset of A}.

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Operation on Sets

Union is an operation for sets A and B in which a set is formed that consists
of all the elements included in A or B or both denoted by ∪ as A ∪ B.

Examples:

Given U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}, A = {1,3,5,7}, B (2,4,6,8) and C= {1,2}, find

the following:

a. A ∪ B b. A ∪ C c. (A ∪ B) ∪ {8}

Solution:

a. A ∪ B = {1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}

b. A ∪ C = {1, 2, 3, 5, 7}

c. (A ∪ B) ∪ 8 = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}

Intersection

It is the set containing all elements common to both A and B, denoted by

∩.

Example:

Given U = {a, b, c, d, e}, A= {c, d, e}, B ={ a, c, e} and C ={a} and D = {e}

Find the following:

a. B ∩ C b. A ∩ C c. (A ∩ B) ∩ D

Solutions:

a. B ∩ C = {a}

b. A ∩ C = ∅

c. A ∩ B = {c, e}, (A ∩ B) ∩ D= {e}

Complementation

It is an operation on a set that must be performed in reference to a

universal set, denoted by 𝐴𝐴’ .

Given U = {a, b, c, d, e}, A= {c, d, e}, find 𝐴𝐴′.

Solution: A' = {a, b}

You should look at the universal set and look for the elements that are not
in Set A. Since Set A contains c, d, and e then you should only write a and
b as the complement of set A.

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2. Relation

A relation is a rule that pairs each element in one set, called the
domain, with one or more elements from a second set called the range. It
creates a set of ordered pairs.

Examples: 1. Given:

Regular Holidays in the Philippines Month and Date

1. New Year’s Day January 1
2. Labor Day May 1
3. Independence Day June 12
4. Bonifacio Day November 30
5. Rizal Day December 30

A clearer way to express a relation is to form a set of ordered pairs;

(New Year's Day, January 1), (Labor Day, May 1), (ndependence Day,
June 12), (BonifacioDay, November 30), (Rizal Day, December 30). This set
describes a Relation.

2. {(2,3), (4,5)} is not a relation but just a set of ordered pairs.

3. {(1,4), (2,5), (3,6)} is a relation. The domain of the relation is the set {1,2,3}
and the range is {4, 5, 6}.

3. Function

It is a rule that pairs each element in one set, called the domain, with
exactly one element from a second set, called the range. This means that
for each first coordinate, there is exactly one second coordinate or for
every first element of x, there corresponds a unique second element y.

Remember: A one-to-one correspondence and many-to-one

correspondence are called Functions while one-to-many correspondence
is not.

Examples: The function can be represented using the following:

1. Table
The perimeter of a square is four times the length of its side.

Side (s) 1 3 5 7 9
Perimeter (P) 4 12 20 28 36

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2. Ordered Pairs
{(1,4), (3,12), (5,20), (7,28), (9,36)}

3. Mapping

1 4
3 12
5 20
7 28
9 36

Therefore, this is a function.

4. Graphing.
Using vertical line test, that is, a set of points in the plane is the graph of
a function if and only if no vertical line intersects the graph in more than
one point.

This is not a function. This is a function.

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4. Binary Operation

A binary operation on a set is a calculation involving two elements of the

set to produce another element of the set.

A new math (binary) operation, using the symbol *, is defined to be

a*b= 3a + b, where a and b are real numbers.

Examples:

1. What is 4* 3?
Solution: 4 * 3
= 3(4) +3
= 12 + 3
= 15

2. Is a * b commutative?

Solution: Verify if a*b = b*a.

3a + b = 3b + a ?

Not true for all real numbers.

If a = 4 and b= 2,

then 3(4) + 2 = 3(2) + 4 is not true.

Therefore: The operation 1s not commutative for all real numbers.

3. Is a* b* c associative?

Solution: Verify if a*(b*c)= (a*b)*c

a*(3b+c) = (3a+b)*c

3a + (3b+c) = 3(3a+b) + c

If a = 2, b = 3, c = 4;

3(2)+(3(3)+ 4) ≠ 3(3(2)+ 3)+4

6 +13 ≠ 3(9)+4

19 ≠ 31.

The operation is not associative for real numbers.

Sometimes, a binary operation on a finite set (a set with a limited

number of elements) is displayed in a table which shows how the operation
is to be performed. A binary operation, * is defined on the set {1, 2, 3, 4}. The
table below shows the 16 possible answers using this operation.

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 (To read the table: read the first value from the left hand column and the
second value from the top row. The answer is the intersection point).

* 1 2 3 4
1 4 3 2 1
2 3 1 4 2
3 2 4 1 3
3 2 4 1 3
4 1 2 3 4

Examples:

1. What is 2*2?
Answer: 1
2. Is 4* 3 commutative?
Answer: 4*3 = 3 and 3*4 = 3
3. What is the identity element for the operation *?
Answer: 4
(Find the single element that will always return the original value. The
identity element is 4. You will have found the identity element when all
of the values in its row and its column are the same as the row and
column headings)
4. Is * associative for these values? 4*(3*2) = (4*3)*2

4* 4 = 3*2

4=4

Answer: Yes, it is associative for values 4, 3, and 2.

ELEMENTARY LOGIC

According to David W. Kueker (2009), logic is simply defined as the analysis of

methods of reasoning. In studying these methods, logic is interested in the form
rather than the content of the argument. Mathematical Logic is, at least in its
origins, the study of reasoning as used in mathematics. Mathematical reasoning
is deductive that is, it consists of drawing (correct) conclusions from given
hypotheses. Thus the basic concept is that of a statement being a logical
consequence of some other statements. In ordinary mathematical English the
use of therefore" customarily indicates that the following statement is a
consequence of what comes before.

Examples:

1. All men are mortal. Luke is a man. Hence, Luke is nortal.

2. All dogs like fish. Cyber is a dog. Hence, Cyber likes fish.

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Propositions and Connectives

A Proposition (or statement) is a sentence that is either true or false (without

additional information).

The logical connectives are defined by truth tables (but have English language
counterparts).

Logic Math English

Conjunction ⋀ And
Disconjunction ⋁ Or
Negation ~ not
Conditional ⇒ If … then…
Biconditional ⟺ If and only if

A denial is a statement equivalent to the negation of a statement.

Examples:

1. The negation of P ⇒ Q is ~(P ⇒ Q).

2. A denial of P ⇒ Q is P ⋀ ~ Q.

A tautology is a statement which is always true.

Examples:

1. A ⋁ (B ⋀ C) (A V B) A (A V C) Distributive Law

2. ~(A V B) ⟺ ~A ⋀ ~B

3. P ⟺ ~(~P)

A contradiction is a statement which is always false.

Example:

1. (A V ~A) ⇒ (B ⋀ ~B) a contradiction.

The contrapositive of the statement if P then Q is if -Q then -P. An implication and

its contrapositive are logically equivalent, so one can always be used in place of
the other.

A predicate (open sentence) is a sentence containing one or more variables

which becomes a proposition upon replacement of the variables.

Examples:

1. The integer x is even.

2. y = 5.

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3. Triangle ABC is isosceles.

However, a predicate is not a proposition, it does not have a truth value. One can
however use quantifiers to make propositions about predicates. For instance, the
universal/general quantifier ( ∀ read as for all ) is used to say that a given
predicate is true for all possible values of its variables. This is a proposition, since it
is either true or false. Similarly, the existential quantifier ( ∃ read as there exist ) is
used to say that there is some value of the variables which makes the predicate a
true statement.

Examples:

1. Let x be a real number. 𝑥𝑥 2 − 1 = 0 is not a proposition, it is a predicate.

2. "There exists an x so that 𝑥𝑥 2 − 1 = 0” is a proposition (true)

3. "For all x, 𝑥𝑥 2 − 1 = 0 " is also a proposition (false).

4. These are written as:

∃ 𝑥𝑥 ∈ ℝ 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠ℎ 𝑡𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑥𝑥 2 − 1 = 0 and ∀ 𝑥𝑥 ∈ ℝ 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠ℎ 𝑡𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑥𝑥 2 − 1 = 0

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