MATHEMATICS AS A LANGUAGE

Objectives:

a. Classify the characteristics of mathematical language.

b. Differentiate expressions from sentences.
c. Define sets and relations.
d. Perform operations on mathematical expressions correctly.

Warm Up Activity
Discuss the characteristics of the language of mathematics and give an example to
supplement your explanation.
1. The language of Mathematics is Precise.

Example :

2. The language of Mathematics is Concise.

Example :

3. The language of Mathematics is Powerful.

Example :

Expressions versus Sentences

In English subject an expressions do not state a complete thought, but sentences do.
Mathematical expressions do not state a complete thought, but mathematical sentences do

A variable is a letter which is used to represent a number or a set of numbers.

Mathematical Expression Mathematical Sentence
67.54 12 + ( -18 ) = - 6
23 - 12 ( 12 )( -15 ) = - 180
y+√3 2x + 4 = 12
Analysis
Classify each given equation as a mathematical expression (ME) or a mathematical
sentence (MS).
1. x + 6 4. p / 125
2. m + 2 = 15 5. a + b = b + a
3. p

Comparison between the English Language and Mathematical Language

ENGLISH MATHEMATICS
English alphabet, Numerals,
English alphabet and
Symbols Greek letters, grouping
punctuations
symbols, special symbols
Name Noun Expression
Operations and other actions
Action Verbs
(e.g., simplify, rationalize )
Equality,inequality,elements in
What's in a Verbs
a set
Attribute of a
Fact or fiction True or False
sentence

Letter Conventions
Examples Usually mean
constants (fixed Note :
Start of the alphabet a, b, c, . . . value) Those are not rules, but they
positive integers (for are often used that way.
From i to n : i, j, k, l, m, n
counting)

End of the alphabet: . . . , x, y, z variables

(unknowns)

Example : y = ax + b

* People will assume that a and b are fixed values.

* And that x is the one that changes, which in turn makes y change.

Remember : It is conventional to write the n umber first before the letters. If in case the
letters are more than one, you have to write the letters alphabetically.
Abstraction ( Critical Thinking )
I. For each of the following expressions, write each in the most conventional way.

1. √ 5 ● x 4. b3 ● a5 ● c4 ● 16
2. z ● y ● -8 5. 13 ● y8 ● t ● z11
3. 12 ● y ● x

II. What is the most conventional way to write 6 ● 11 ? Justify your answer.

Sets, Functions and Relations

SETS
A set is a well defined collection of objects. There are three ways to describe sets :
Descriptive method, Set notation and by Listing or Rooster method.

Learning Task 1. Identify all the possible answers for the statement below.

1. Numbers greater than 8 divisible by

3.

2. All provinces in Region IV-A

3. Six animals with two legs.

4. Malls in the entire Province of Laguna

5. Consonants in the English alphabet.

The members of a set can be described in different ways.

1. By descriptive method such as the set of Primary colors.

2. By listing method each member of a set like red, yellow, and blue.

3. By set notation such as Primary colors = { x/x, x is a set of primary colors }

Illustrative Example 1. Describe the elements of each set

Set A Set B
1 2 3 3 6 9

4 5 6 12 15

Answer : Set A: The set of counting numbers Answer: Set B: The set of numbers
from 1 to 6. divisible by 3 between
1 to 16.

Set C Set D
1 3
9 27

Answer: Set C: A null set or empty set Answer: Set D: The set of factors of 27

Illustrative Example 2. Use the diagram below to answer the questions that follow.

U 1. What elements are found in the

A B union of A and B ?
5 2. What is the cardinality of the union
1 2 13 of A and B ?
7 11 3. What elements are found in the
21 18 9 intersection of A and B ?
10 25 4. What is the cardinality of the
intersection of A and B ?
5. What are the elements in A¢ ? B ¢ ?

Answers :

We use the symbol " È " to denote the union of sets and " Ç " to denote the
intersection of sets.
1. Since A = { 1, 2, 7, 10, 11, 18, 21 } and B = { 2, 5, 9, 11, 13, 18, 25 }
Thus, A È B = { 1, 2, 5,7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 21, 25 }
2. There are 11 elements found in the union of set A and B.
3. A Ç B = { 2, 11, 18 }
4. The intersection of sets A and B has 3 elememnts.
5. A ¢ = { 5, 9, 13, 25 } , B ¢ = { 1, 7, 10, 21 }
Illustrative Example 3.

Given : A = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 } and B = { 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 } Find : A - B and B - A.

* To find the difference A - B, by taking away every element of A that is also an element
of B. Since A shares the elements 5 and 6 with B, this gives us the set difference.
Answer : A - B = { 1, 2, 3, 4 }

* The difference B - A, consist of elements of B that are not in A.

Therefore, B - A = { 7, 8, 9, 10 }.

Definition of Terms
A set is well-defined collection of different objects, such as numbers, people, letters of
the alphabet and symbols can make up a set.
A subset is a set whose elements are members of another set.
The universal set contains all the elemements being considered in a given situation.
A null set is an empty set. It has no element. The null or empty set is a subset of any set.
The union set is the set of all elements found in both sets. It is the result of adding
or combining the elements of two or more sets.
The intersection set is the common element/s in both given sets.
The complement of a set A, denoted by A¢ , is the set of elements that are not in set A
but in the universal set.
The cardinality of set is the number of elements contained in a set.
The difference of two sets, written as A - B, is the set of all elements of A tha are not
elements of B.

Learning Task 2

A B
3 12 9
15
30 18 27
21
24 6

1. Describe set A 4. What is A Ç B ?

2. Describe set B 5. What is the cardinality of A? B? A Ç B ?

3. What is A È B ?
EXERCISE :
Given : U = { x/x, x is a counting numbers less than 20 }
A = { x/x, x is an even numbers } D = { x/x, x is divisible by 5 }
B = { x/x, x is an odd numbers } E = { x/x, 8 ≤ x ≤ 16 }
C = { x/x, x is divisible by 3 }

I. Find the following.

1. A È B

2. A Ç B

3. A ¢

4. U - A

5. U - A ¢

6. A Ç D

7. C È E

8. ( A Ç E ) È ( A Ç D )

9. ( A È B ) - ( D Ç E )

10. ( A Ç C ) Ç ( C Ç E )

II. Make a survey to 20 persons. Find the number of those 20 respondents who like :

a) Adobo only, c) Either Adobo or Caldereta, and

b) Caldereta only, d) Neither Adobo nor Caldereta.

Show your result of your survey using the figure below or Venn Diagram.

U
A C