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LEARNING MATERIAL 3

GE 103
MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD

A.Y. 2022-2023

SECOND SEMESTER

Prepared by:

ARVIN C. OCTOMAN, LPT

ALLAN MELVIN B. COMIA, LPT, MSME-CAR

ANSHERINA N. NATALIO-COMIA, LPT

Address: Brgy. San Jose, City of San Pablo, Laguna Tel. no. (049) 523-6455/503-1269 E-mail: dlsp_reg@[Link] - (Registrar’s Office), dlspsanpablocity1997@[Link]
 CITY GOVERNMENT OF SAN PABLO
PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG SAN PABLO

CHED Recognized Local College

TESDA Recognized Programs
ALCU Commission on Accreditation – Level 1 Reaccredited
Excellence • Leadership • Service
Member, Association of Local Colleges and Universities
Member, Local Colleges and Universities Athletic Association, Inc.

LEARNING MATERIAL 3 FOR GE 103 (LECTURE)

Credits : 3 units lecture (3 hours/week)

Pre-Requisite : none
Course Title : Mathematics in the Modern World

REFERENCES:

Book:

 Aufmann, Richard N., Lockwood, Joanne S., Nation, Richard D., Clegg, Daniel K.
(2018). Mathematics in the Modern World. Rex Book Store, Inc. 856 Nicanor Sr. St.,
Sampaloc, Manila. ISBN: 978-971-23-9357-0
 Calingasan, R. M., Martin, M. C., & Yambao, E. M. (2018). Mathematics in the Modern
World. Quezon City: C & E Publishing, Inc.,.
 Medallon, Merlita C., Calubaquib, Felix M. (2018). Mathematics in the Modern World
(Worktext). MINDSHAPERS CO., Inc. Rm. 108, ICP Building, Recoletos cor., Cabildo
St. Intramuros, Manila. ISBN: 978-621-406-182-2
 Reyes, Juan Apolinario C. (2018). Mathematics in the Modern World. Unlimited Books
Library Services & Publishing Inc. Rm. 215 ICP Building, Cabildo St. Intramuros,
Manila. ISBN: 978-621-427-027-9

Online References:

 Commission on Higher Education. (2017, October 6). Mathematics in the Modern World
Preliminaries. Retrieved from CHED:
[Link]
[Link]
 Drew, E. (2019, September 10). Fibonacci. Retrieved from The Cultivate Blog:
[Link]
 Gowers, T. (2004, October 7). The language and grammar of mathematics. Retrieved
from University of Cambridge: [Link]
 Helmenstine, A. M. (2019, June 27). Why Mathematics Is a Language. Retrieved from
ThoughtCo: [Link]
 Jenn. (2016, August 15). Fibonacci and the Good Kind of Math. Retrieved from Roving
Crafters: [Link]
 Keiren. (2012, December 14). The Fibonacci Sequence In Nature. Retrieved from
Insteading: [Link]
 Mahanta, P. (2019, September 25). Exhaustive List Of Math Symbols & Their Meaning.
Retrieved from Prodigy: [Link]
math-symbols-their-meaning-downloadable-chart-for-classroom/
 Woolley, T. (2017, October 4). How Animals Got Their Spots and Stripes—According to
Math. Retrieved from Scientific American:
[Link]
mdash-according-to-math/

Address: Brgy. San Jose, City of San Pablo, Laguna Tel. no. (049) 523-6455/503-1269 E-mail: dlsp_reg@[Link] - (Registrar’s Office), dlspsanpablocity1997@[Link]
 CITY GOVERNMENT OF SAN PABLO
PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG SAN PABLO

CHED Recognized Local College

TESDA Recognized Programs
ALCU Commission on Accreditation – Level 1 Reaccredited
Excellence • Leadership • Service
Member, Association of Local Colleges and Universities
Member, Local Colleges and Universities Athletic Association, Inc.

Lesson Objectives:

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

1. Explain why mathematics is considered as language.
2. Recognize mathematical symbols and their meaning.
3. Translate verbal statements into mathematical statements and vice-versa

THE LANGUAGE OF MATHEMATICS AND ITS SYMBOLS

I. INTRODUCTION

Students frequently have trouble understanding the ideas being presented; not because the
ideas are difficult, but because they are being presented in a foreign language – the language of
mathematics. In this lesson you will learn why mathematics is considered a language. It will also
cover the common mathematical symbols and translation of our verbal language into a
mathematical one.

Text: Mathematics in the Modern World, Aufmann, et. al., Chapter 2

Reference: Mathematics in the Modern World , Calingasan et. al., Chapter 1

II. CHARACTERISTICS OF A LANGUAGE

There are multiple definitions of language. A language may be a system of words or

codes used within a discipline. Language may refer to a system of communication using symbols
or sounds. Linguist Noam Chomsky defined language as a set of sentences constructed using a
finite set of elements. Some linguists believe language should be able to represent events and
abstract concepts. Whichever definition is used, a language contains the following components:
 There must be a vocabulary of words or symbols.
 Meaning must be attached to the words or symbols.
 A language employs grammar, which is a set of rules that outline how vocabulary is
used.
 A syntax organizes symbols into linear structures or propositions.
 A narrative or discourse consists of strings of syntactic propositions.
 There must be (or have been) a group of people who use and understand the symbols.

Mathematics meets all of these requirements. The symbols, their meanings, syntax, and
grammar are the same throughout the world. Mathematicians, scientists, and others use math to
communicate concepts. Mathematics describes itself, real-world phenomena, and abstract
concepts. The language of mathematics makes it easy to express the kinds of thoughts that
mathematicians like to express. It is:
1. precise (able to make very fine distinctions);
2. concise (able to say things briefly);
3. powerful (able to express complex thoughts with relative ease).

Address: Brgy. San Jose, City of San Pablo, Laguna Tel. no. (049) 523-6455/503-1269 E-mail: dlsp_reg@[Link] - (Registrar’s Office), dlspsanpablocity1997@[Link]
 CITY GOVERNMENT OF SAN PABLO
PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG SAN PABLO

CHED Recognized Local College

TESDA Recognized Programs
ALCU Commission on Accreditation – Level 1 Reaccredited
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Member, Association of Local Colleges and Universities
Member, Local Colleges and Universities Athletic Association, Inc.

III. THE LANGUAGE OF MATHEMATICS

In English, a noun is a word that names something. An English noun is usually a person,
place, or thing; for example, Julie, Laguna, and dog. Note that there are conventions regarding
nouns in English; for example, proper names are capitalized.

The mathematical analogue of a noun is called a mathematical expression. A

mathematical expression is a name given to some mathematical object of interest. In
mathematics, an object of interest is often a number, a set, or a function. There are conventions
regarding the naming of `nouns' in mathematics, just as there are in English. For example, real
numbers are usually named with lowercase letters (like a, x, t, α, β, and γ), whereas sets are
usually named with capital letters (like A, B, and C). Without sets and functions, modern
mathematics could not exist.
Since people frequently need to work with numbers, these are the most common type of
mathematical expression. And, 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. English has the
same concept: synonyms are words that have the same (or nearly the same) meaning. However,
this ‘same object, different name’ idea plays a much more fundamental role in mathematics than
in English.

By themselves, nouns are not extremely useful. It is when nouns are used in sentences to
express complete thoughts that things get really interesting. A declarative English sentence
begins with a capital letter, ends with a period, and expresses a complete thought. A
mathematical sentence is the analogue of an English sentence; it is a correct arrangement of
mathematical symbols that states a complete thought.

Just as English sentences have verbs, so do mathematical sentences. In the mathematical

sentence ‘3 + 4 = 7’, the verb is ‘=’. If you read the sentence as ‘three plus four is equal to
seven’, then it’s easy to ‘hear’ the verb. Indeed, the equal sign ‘=’ is one of the most popular
mathematical verbs.

A mathematical sentence is harder to distinguish than an English sentence because there

are a lot of symbols (and layouts) available in the construction of mathematical sentences that are
not available in the construction of English sentences. A good way to decide if something is a
sentence is to read it out loud, and ask yourself the question: Does it express a complete thought?
If the answer is `yes', it's a sentence. An example is the
sentence ‘1 + 2 = 3’ which states a complete thought. It is
read as ‘one plus two equals three’ or ‘one plus two is equal
to three’. The sentence is diagrammed on the right.

Address: Brgy. San Jose, City of San Pablo, Laguna Tel. no. (049) 523-6455/503-1269 E-mail: dlsp_reg@[Link] - (Registrar’s Office), dlspsanpablocity1997@[Link]
 CITY GOVERNMENT OF SAN PABLO
PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG SAN PABLO

CHED Recognized Local College

TESDA Recognized Programs
ALCU Commission on Accreditation – Level 1 Reaccredited
Excellence • Leadership • Service
Member, Association of Local Colleges and Universities
Member, Local Colleges and Universities Athletic Association, Inc.

Other examples of mathematical sentences are written below.

2 x−4=−2 5 y−3> 6 4 ∈N

In order to communicate effectively, people must agree on the meanings of certain words
and phrases. When there is ambiguity, confusion can result. Although there are certainly
instances in mathematics where context is used to determine correct meaning, there is much less
ambiguity allowed in mathematics than in English. The primary way that ambiguity is avoided is
by the use of definitions. By defining words and phrases, it is assured that everyone agrees on
their meaning.

To learn more, watch the following video titled “Is Math a Language “on [Link]
fXwJjcAg.

IV. TRUTH OF SENTENCES

A mathematical sentence should show the relationship of different expressions thus you
can determine whether they are true or false. The notion of truth (i.e., the property of being true
or false) is of fundamental importance in the mathematical language. An expression does not
state a complete thought thus it does not make sense to ask if an expression is true or not.

Example 1
Identify if the following are true or false.
1. The sum of a number and 2. 3+7=10 3. 1 ∙ x=x
three.
4. x−1=x 5. 3 y +5=14 6. This statement is
false.

Solution
1. It can be written as ‘x + 3’. It is only an expression thus can neither be true nor false.
2. By adding it is true.
3. Any value of x will still make the sentence true.
4. Any value of x will still make the sentence false.
5. If y = 3 then it is true otherwise it is false. It is conditionally true.
6. If this sentence is true, then it would have to be false. If this sentence is false, then it
would have to be true. It is not true, not false, nor conditionally true.

The truth of sentences is not limited to just whether they are true or false. Some sentences
are true depending upon the number that is chosen for the variable. This are called open
sentences. In sentences such as these, people are often interested in finding the choice(s) that
make the sentence true. There are some sentences that are impossible to determine their
truthfulness because they present a contradiction. These sentences are paradoxes.

Address: Brgy. San Jose, City of San Pablo, Laguna Tel. no. (049) 523-6455/503-1269 E-mail: dlsp_reg@[Link] - (Registrar’s Office), dlspsanpablocity1997@[Link]
 CITY GOVERNMENT OF SAN PABLO
PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG SAN PABLO

CHED Recognized Local College

TESDA Recognized Programs
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Excellence • Leadership • Service
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Member, Local Colleges and Universities Athletic Association, Inc.

V. MATHEMATICAL SYMBOLS

The following tables show the list of common mathematical symbols and how to use
them. These symbols serve as the building blocks in forming mathematical sentences.

1. Mathematical ‘Nouns’

Mathematical ‘nouns’ refer to numbers or values that are manipulated in a mathematical

sentence. They can refer to either variables or constants. Variables are symbols or letters that
may have one or more possible value. This is usually represented by English or Greek letters.
Unlike variables, constants are numbers with fixed value. They are usually based on Hindu-
Arabic numerals but there are special symbols that have exact numerical value which are called
mathematical constants. An example of this is φ which was mentioned in the previous lesson.

Symbol
Symbol Meaning / definition Example
Name
Hindu-Arabic Numerals 523
constant digits to form numbers
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 10.537
English Alphabet Letters 2 2 2
a + b =c
A, B, C, D, …, X, Y, Z variable unknown value to find
y=mx+b
a, b, c, d, …, x, y, z

Greek Alphabet Letters v=λf

variable unknown value to find 2 2
α, β, γ, δ, ε, θ, λ, … sin θ+cos θ=1
Some Greek & English
mathematical number with fixed i=√ −1 e ≈ 2.718
Letters
constant value π ≈ 3.1416 φ ≈ 1.618
i, e, π, φ, …

2. Mathematical ‘Verbs’

Mathematical ‘verbs’ are symbols that show the relationship of at least two expressions.
Two expressions are either equal or unequal. If they are unequal, one expression is either greater
than or lesser than the other value. Other variations of these three relationships exist and can be
used depending on the situation.
Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example
5 = 2+3
= equals sign Equality
5 is equal to 2+3
5≠4
≠ not equal sign Inequality
5 is not equal to 4

Address: Brgy. San Jose, City of San Pablo, Laguna Tel. no. (049) 523-6455/503-1269 E-mail: dlsp_reg@[Link] - (Registrar’s Office), dlspsanpablocity1997@[Link]
 CITY GOVERNMENT OF SAN PABLO
PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG SAN PABLO

CHED Recognized Local College

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Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

sin (0.01) ≈ 0.01,
approximately
≈ Approximation x ≈ y means x is approximately
equal
equal to y
5>4
> strict inequality greater than
5 is greater than 4
4<5
< strict inequality less than
4 is less than 5
5 ≥ 4,
greater than or equal
≥ Inequality x ≥ y means x is greater than or
to
equal to y
4 ≤ 5,
≤ Inequality less than or equal to x ≤ y means x is less than or equal
to y

3. Basic Mathematical Operations

Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are the basic mathematical operations.
The following symbols are different variations of the four operations

Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

+ plus sign Addition 1+1=2
− minus sign Subtraction 2−1=1
± plus – minus both plus and minus operations 3 ± 5 = 8 or -2
± minus – plus both minus and plus operations 3 ∓ 5 = -2 or 8
× times sign Multiplication 2×3=6
⋅ multiplication dot Multiplication 2⋅3=6
÷ division sign / obelus Division 6÷2=3
/ division slash Division 6/2=3

— horizontal line division / fraction

4. Other Mathematical Symbols

Other symbols include grouping symbols which are used to indicate order of operations,
exponents and radicals, and miscellaneous symbols such as decimal point and percent.

Address: Brgy. San Jose, City of San Pablo, Laguna Tel. no. (049) 523-6455/503-1269 E-mail: dlsp_reg@[Link] - (Registrar’s Office), dlspsanpablocity1997@[Link]
 CITY GOVERNMENT OF SAN PABLO
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Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

() Parentheses calculate expression inside first 2 × (3+5) = 16
[] Brackets calculate expression inside first [(1+2) × (1+5)] = 18
. Period decimal point, decimal separator 2.56 = 2+56/100
ab Power Exponent 23 = 8
n
√a n-th root (radical) indicate that a root is being taken √ 9=3 , √3 125=5
% percent 1% = 1/100 10% × 30 = 3

To learn more, watch the following video titled “Where Do Math Symbols Come From? “on
[Link]

VI. Translating English Sentences to Mathematical Sentences and Vice-Versa

Knowledge of mathematical symbols and their respective meanings enable us to translate

verbal sentences into mathematical sentences. Certain words or phrases can indicate the
operation or action to be done in a verbal statement. The following table summarizes some of the
words and what they indicate.

Addition Subtraction Multiplication Division Equality Inequality

Plus minus times divided by is is greater than
more than less multiplied by the ratio of equals is less than
increased less than the product of the quotient is equal to is at least
by decreased by twice (2x) of gives is at most
the sum of the difference thrice (3x) is above
the total of of is below
added to subtracted
from

Other phrases to watch out for are ‘the quantity’ which indicates a grouping symbol,
‘square’, ‘cube’ and ‘raised to the nth power which indicate exponents and ‘square root, ‘cube
root’ and ‘nth root’ that signifies radicals.

Example 2

Translate the following verbal sentences into mathematical sentences.

1. The sum of a number x and 24 is 44 2. Five less a number is greater than 12
3. 4 times a number y less than 12 is less than ten. 4. The square of the sum is at most 7.
5. The distance d is equal to the square root of the sum of the quantity x2 minus x1 and the
quantity y2 minus y1.

Solution

Address: Brgy. San Jose, City of San Pablo, Laguna Tel. no. (049) 523-6455/503-1269 E-mail: dlsp_reg@[Link] - (Registrar’s Office), dlspsanpablocity1997@[Link]
 CITY GOVERNMENT OF SAN PABLO
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2. 5−x>12 You may use any variable if its name is not indicated.
3. 12−4 y <10 ‘Less’, ‘less than’, and ‘is less than’ have different meanings.
4. ( x + y )2 ≤ 7
√ 2
5. d= ( x 2−x 1 ) + ( y 2− y 1)
2
This is the distance formula.

Example 3

Use variables to rewrite the following sentences formally.

1. Are there numbers with the property that the sum of their squares equals the square of
their sum?
2. Given any real number, its square is nonnegative.

Solution
1. Are there numbers a and b with the property that a 2+ b2=( a+ b )2?
Or: Are there numbers a and b such that a 2+ b2=( a+ b )2
Or: Do there exist any numbers a and b such that a 2+ b2=( a+ b )2 ?
2. Given any real number r, r2 is nonnegative.
Or: For any real number r, r 2 ≥ 0.
Or: For all real numbers r, r 2 ≥ 0.

Example 4
Translate the following mathematical sentences into verbal phrases.

6y y
4. √ 18 x ≤
3 5
1. x−3=2 x 2 2. >3 yz 3. ( a−b )( a+ b )=a2−b 2
3z 2

Solution
There are many possible answers. The following are just some ways to translate them.
1. The difference of x and three is equal to the product of two and the square of x.
2. The ratio of six times y and three times z is greater than the product of three, y and z.
3. The product of the sum and difference of a and b is the square of a and the square of b.
4. The cube root of the product of eighteen times x raised to the fifth power is less than or
equal to the quotient of y and two.

To learn more, watch the following video titled “How to Read Math?” on
[Link]

Address: Brgy. San Jose, City of San Pablo, Laguna Tel. no. (049) 523-6455/503-1269 E-mail: dlsp_reg@[Link] - (Registrar’s Office), dlspsanpablocity1997@[Link]