MODULE

1
LESSON

THE MATHEMATICAL
3 LANGUAGE AND SYMBOLS
3
HOURS

This lesson dwells on mathematical language and symbols. It presents the comparison
between Math and English language, characteristics and applications of math language in real life
including truth values of statements.

At the end of this lesson you are expected to:

1. discuss the language, symbols, and conventions used in mathematics;

2. explain the nature of mathematics as a language;
3. evaluate mathematical expressions correctly;
4. translate phrases into mathematical expression by using few variables as possible;
5. choose quantity to represent variable then write into mathematical expression; and,
6. recognize that mathematics is a useful language.

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 Examine the table below. Which is convenient to write? The ideas in the first column
or in the second column?

One plus two equals three. 1+2=3

One hundred sixty-nine minus one hundred fifty-nine is equal to ten. 169 – 159 = 10
a multiplied by b is equal to ab. (a)( b) = ab
Ten thousand divided by ten equals one thousand. 10,000 ÷ 10 = 1,000

Probably, most of you answered, that the ideas in column B are more convenient to write
than those in Column A. This is another importance of Mathematics. The motivation above is an
eye opener that mathematical symbols make our lives easier and convenient.

In this lesson, you will be learning the different mathematical symbols and how are English
phrases or sentences converted into mathematical expressions or sentences.

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ENGLISH versus MATHEMATICS

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The Language of Mathematics Summary

 Comparison between the English language and Mathematical language

CATEGORY ENGLISH MATHEMATICS

Symbols English alphabet & English alphabet, Numerals,
punctuations Greek letters, grouping
symbols, special symbols
Name Noun Expression
Complete Thought Sentence Sentence
Action Verbs Operations & other actions (e.g.
simplify, rationalize)
What’s in a sentence Verbs Equality, inequality,
membership in a set
Attribute of a sentence Fact or fiction True or false

 Characteristics of the Mathematical Language

a. Precise (able to make very fine distinctions)
b. Concise (able to say things briefly)
c. Powerful (able to express complex thoughts with relative ease)

 Examples of types of expressions in mathematics (or what we commonly refer to

as mathematical objects)
a. Numbers
b. Sets
c. Functions
d. Ordered pair, ordered triple, ordered n-tuple
e. Matrices
f. Vectors
g. Groups

 Other Notions in the Mathematical Language

a. ‘Synonyms’ – concepts can be expressed differently
b. The importance of truth
c. Conventions & syntax
d. Definitions & undefined terms
e. Simplicity and elegance
Simpler means:
FEWER symbols
FEWER operations
BETTER SUITED to current use
PREFERED STYLE/FORMAT
Elegance (as often attributed to proofs):
A proof that uses a minimum of additional assumptions or previous
results.
A proof that is unusually succinct.
A proof that derives a result in a surprising way (e.g. from an
apparently unrelated theorem or collection of theorems.)
A proof that is based on new and original insights.

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 A method of proof that can be easily generalized to solve a family of
similar problems.
 Mathematics is a symbolic language. Some of the mathematical symbols we may
encounter are as follows:
∑ the sum of
∃ there exists
∀ for every (for any)
∈ element of (or member of)
∉ not an element of (or not a member of)
⊆ subset of
⇒ if …, then
⇔ if and only if
ℝ set of real numbers
ℕ set of natural numbers
ℤ set of integers
Q set of rational numbers
∞ Infinity

Applications
 Mathematical language can describe a subset of the real world using only the symbols
above.
 Problems in physics like freely falling bodies, speed, and acceleration; quantities like
the chemical content of vegetables; the use of mathematical modelling in biological
disease modelling; and the formulas employed in the social sciences can all be
expressed using mathematical sentences or formulas.
 According to Baltazar (2018), Mathematics is the language of the following:
1. Sciences
2. Business
3. Economics
4. Music
5. Architecture
6. Arts
7. Politics

Expressions versus Sentences

 A sentence must contain complete thought. In the English language an ordinary
sentence must contain a subject and predicate. The subject contains a noun or a whole
clause. “Manila” for example is a proper noun but is not in itself a sentence because it
does not state a complete thought. Similarly, a mathematical sentence must state a
complete thought. An expression is a name given to a mathematical object of interest.

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 The term “1 + 2” is a mathematical expression but not a mathematical sentence. Below
are examples of mathematical expressions:

a. An ordered pair (a,b)

2 4
b. A matrix [ ]
−2 3

c. A function f(x)

d. The set {1, 3, 5}

Truth of Sentences
 Three most important kinds of sentences in mathematics are universal statements,
conditional statements and existential statements.

A universal statement says that a certain property is true for all elements of a set.
Example: All prime numbers have no more factors except one and itself.
Prime numbers: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7,11, 13, …

An existential statement says that there is at least one thing for which a given property
is true.
Example: There is a prime number that is even.

A conditional statement says that if one thing is true then some other things have to
be true.
Example: If 72 is divisible by 18, then 72 is also divisible by 9.

 Mathematical sentences may either be true or false but not both.

Example 1: Write as English sentences and say whether these are true or false.
a. ∀𝑥 ∈ ℝ, x2 ≥ 0
b. ∀x, y ∈ ℝ, (x+y)2 = x2 + 2xy + y2
c. ∃m, n ∈ ℤ+, m – n > m + n
d. ∀a,b ∈ Q, ab = 0 ⇒ a ≠ 0 ˅ b ≠ 0

Solution:
a. For any real number x, its square is greater than or equal to 0. (TRUE)
b. For any real numbers x and y, the square of their sum is equal to the sum
of their squares plus twice their product.(TRUE)
c. There exist positive integers m and n such that m minus n is greater than
m plus n. (FALSE)
d. For any rational numbers a and b, if their product is zero then neither a nor
b equals 0. (FALSE)

Example 2: Write as mathematical sentences. Discuss how the word “is” is used.
a. Ten is the square root of 100.
b. Ten is greater than 9.
c. Ten is an even number.
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 d. Ten is a multiple of 5.
Solution:

a. √100 = 10
b. 10 ˃ 9
c. 10 ∈ {2n, n ∈ N}
d. 10 ∈ {5n, n ∈ N}

 If you notice, the word “is” could mean equality, inequality, or membership in a set. In
the first example, “is” is used for equality, the second for inequality, and in the third,
and fourth, it is used to say that the number 10 belongs to the set of multiples of 2 and
the set of multiples of 5.

Note: No need to submit your answers for this activity.

I. Enumerate math symbols and give the meaning for each symbol.
# = any number
/ = division
() = multiplication
. = multiplication
% = percent

II. Translate each of the following phrases into a mathematical expression. Use as few
variables as possible. (10 points each)
Example: Ten times a number diminished by four
Let n = number
Answer: 10n - 4
PHRASES /SENTENCES MATHEMATICAL EXPRESSIONS/SENTENCES
1. The sum of a number and nine Let a = number, a + 9
2. The product of two numbers Let a & b are numbers,
axb
a.b
a (b)
(a)b
(a)(b)
a*b
ab
3. The product of negative one and a number Let f be the number,
-1f
-f
-1 x f
-1 . f
-1 (f)

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 4. One-half times the sum of two numbers Let h & i be the numbers,
½ x (h + i)
½(h + i)
5. Twice a number increased by three is one. Let e be the number,
2e + 3 = 1
To make the sentence true, the value
for e must be -1.
Take note:
A number less than two (This is a phrase.)
Let x = number
x-2
A number is less than two. (This is a sentence.)
Let x = number
x<2
III. Choose a quantity to be represented by a variable, then write a mathematical
expression for each. (10 points each)
1. Your sibling’s age 5 years from now.
2. The total interest earned after one year when P100, 000 is invested at 6% annual interest
rate.
3. The distance travelled by a person driving at the rate of 60 kph.
4. The total distance travelled by a boat 1 hour upstream and 30 minutes downstream in
which the rate of current is 3 kph.
5. The fraction of work done by someone who can finish a job in 2 hours.
IV. Write as English sentences and identify whether the statement is True or False.
(10 points each)
1. ∃m, m ∈ 𝑅, m2 = m
2. ∀a, b ∈ Q, a/b = 0 ⇒ a = 0 v b =0

Note: Online test will be given.

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MODULE
1

LESSON

4 MATHEMATICAL LOGIC
3
HOURS

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 This lesson focuses on the fundamentals, statements, propositions, truth tables, connectives,
and quantifiers that are essential for understanding the concepts of mathematical logic.

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:

1. determine statements;
2. write the negation of statements;
3. write the compound statements in symbolic form;
4. present the symbolic statements in words;
5. express symbolic statement as English sentences; and
6. use logic in mathematics communication.

Why are manholes or utility hole covers are always

round and not some other polygons or conic
shapes?

https://depositphotos.com/stock-photos/manhole.html

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 Why do most people argue over some issues and never get to the bottom of it? Sometimes
people in dispute say that “they do not see eye to eye.” This expression means that the people
involved in an argument never get to agree on the issues at hand. In many cases, the disagreement
lies on not being able to present sound arguments based on facts, or the failure to convince the
contending party using logical arguments. To avoid such a scenario in mathematics and to uphold
certainty in the validity of mathematical statements, mathematics employs the powerful language of
logic in asserting truths of statements. Logic helps us to understand better arguments. The use of
logic illustrates the importance of precision and conciseness in communicating
mathematics. This is the essence of Lesson 4.

In today’s complex world, it is not easy to summarize in a few paragraphs the subject matter
known as logic. For lawyers and judges, logic is the science of correct reasoning. They often
use logic to communicate more effectively, construct valid arguments, analyze legal contracts, and
make decisions. Law schools consider knowledge of logic to be one of the most important predictors
of future success for their new students. Many other professions also make extensive use of logic.
For instance, programmers use logic to design computer software; electrical engineers use logic to
design circuits for smart phones; and mathematicians use logic to solve problems and construct
mathematical proofs. In this lesson, you will encounter several facets of logic. Specifically, you will
use logic to

■ analyze information and the relationship between statements,

■ determine the validity of arguments,

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 ■ determine valid conclusions based on given assumptions, and

■ analyze electronic circuits.

One of the first mathematicians to make a serious study of symbolic logic was Gottfried
Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716). Leibniz tried to advance the study of logic from a merely
philosophical subject to a formal mathematical subject. Leibniz never completely achieved this goal;
however, several mathematicians, such as Augustus De Morgan (1806–1871) and George Boole
(1815–1864), contributed to the advancement of symbolic logic as a mathematical discipline.

Boole published The Mathematical Analysis of Logic in 1848. In 1854 he published the
more extensive work, An Investigation of the Laws of Thought. Concerning this document, the
mathematician Bertrand Russell stated, “Pure mathematics was discovered by Boole in a work
which is called The Laws of Thought.”

Logic Statements
 Every language contains different types of sentences, such as statements,
questions, and commands. For instance,

“Is the test today?” is a question.

“Go call the ambulance!” is a command.
“That is a nice car.” is an opinion.
“Manila is the capital of Philippines.” is a statement of fact.
Statement
 A statement is a declarative sentence that is either true or false, but not both true
and false.
 It may not be necessary to determine whether a sentence is true to determine
whether it is a statement. For instance, consider the following sentence.

Hidilyn Diaz won an Olympic gold medal in weight lifting.

 You may not know if the sentence is true, but you do know that the sentence is either
true or it is false, and that it is not both true and false. Thus, you know that the
sentence is a statement.

Example 1: Determine whether each sentence is a statement.

a. Cebu is in Central Visayas.
b. How are you?
c. 9 + 2 is a prime number.
d. x + 1 = 5.
Solution:
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 a. Cebu is part of Central Visayas, so this sentence is true and it is a
statement.
b. The sentence “How are you?” is a question; it is not a declarative
sentence. Thus it is not a statement.
c. You may not know whether 9 + 2 is a prime number; however, you do
know that it is a whole number larger than 1, so it is either a prime number
or it is not a prime number. The sentence is either true or it is false, and it
is not both true and false, so it is a statement.
d. x + 1 = 5 is a statement. It is known as an open statement. It is true for x =
4, and it is false for any other values of x. For any given value of x, it is
true or false but not both.

Example 2 : Determine whether each sentence is a statement.

a. Open the door.
b. 7055 is a large number.
c. In the year 2023, the president of the United States will be a woman.
d. x > 3.

Simple Statements and Compound Statements

 A simple statement is a statement that conveys a single idea. A compound
statement is a statement that conveys two or more ideas.
 Connecting simple statements with words and phrases such as and, or, if . . . then,
and if and only if creates a compound statement. For instance, “I will attend the
meeting or I will go to school.” is a compound statement. It is composed of the two
simple statements, “I will attend the meeting.” and “I will go to school.” The word or is
a connective for the two simple statements.
 George Boole used symbols such as P, Q, R, and S to represent simple statements
and the symbols ᴧ, ˅, ¬, ⇒, and ⇔ to represent connectives. See Table below.

Summary of Logical Connectives and Symbols

Propositions
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 Many times, propositions are made in people’s statements. A proposition is a statement
which either true (T) or false (F). The senior citizens may claim that the best movie they
ever saw is Sound of Music, a movie that was produced in 1965. This statement is a
proposition that is either T or F and cannot be both.

Examples:
Each of the following statements is a proposition. Some are true and some are false.
Can you tell which are true, and which are false? If it is false, state why.
a. 9 is a prime number.
b. 5+3=8
c. x2 + y2 ≥ 0
d. 10 ˂ - 3

Solution:
a. False. Prime numbers have no other factors than 1 and itself. Aside from 1 and
itself, 9 has also 3 as a factor.
b. True.
c. True.
d. False. A negative number is always less than a positive number.

The Truth Table

 A truth table is a table that shows the truth value of a compound statement for all
possible truth values of its simple statements.

Negation
 A statement is a negation of another if the word is not introduced in the negative
statement. Let P be a proposition. The negation of P is “not P” or ~P.
 The following is its truth table:

P ~P
T F
F T

Example:
What is the negation of the following statement?

a. P: √2 is a rational number.
b. R: 6 is an odd number.

Solution:

a. √2 is not a rational number or √2 is irrational. In symbols, ¬P.

b. 6 is not an odd number or 6 is an even number. In symbols, ¬R.
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Logical Connectives

 Let P and Q be propositions. A logical connective is the mathematical equivalent of a

conjunction in English. The most common conjunctions in mathematics are “and” and
“or”, which are denoted by ᴧ and v, respectively.
 If two statements are joined like P and Q, denoted by P ᴧ Q, then P ᴧ Q is a
statement that is true if and only if both P and Q are true. Another logical connective
is the word “or”. The statement P v Q is true if and only if P is true or Q is true, which
is taken to include the case when they are both true.
 The following is the truth table.

P Q PᴧQ PvQ
F F F F
F T F T
T F F T
T T T T

Implications
 Suppose P and Q are propositions. The proposition P ⇒ Q (read as “if P, then Q”) is
called an implication. P is called the premise and Q is called the conclusion. In ordinary
language statements like “If it rains, then I bring my umbrella” is an implication. “If it
rains” is P or the premise while “I bring my umbrella” is the conclusion.
 Other ways of reading P ⇒ Q are:

P implies Q
Q if P
Q is implied by P
Q only if P

P Q P⇒Q
F F T
F T T
T F F
T T T

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 A more complicated form of implication is the bi implication or the bi-conditional denoted
by the symbol ⇔. The statement P ⇔ Q is true if and only if both P and Q are either
both true or both false. The sentence P ⇔ Q is equivalent to the statement

P ⇔ Q ≡ (P ⇒ Q) ᴧ (Q ⇒P).

 Construct the truth table for the logical operator ⇔ and check that indeed it is equivalent
to (P ⇒ Q) ᴧ (Q ⇒ P). A bi-conditional is often stated as,

P if and only if Q
or
P is necessary and sufficient for Q.

Example:
Write the following in symbolic form using P, Q, and R for statements and the
symbols ~, ᴧ, v, ⇒, ⇔ where

P: The food is healthy.

Q: There is artificial flavoring.
R: It is nutritious.
a. If the food is healthy, then there is no artificial flavouring.
b. If there is no artificial flavouring, then it is nutritious.
c. If the food is healthy and it is nutritious, then there is no artificial
flavouring.
d. The food is not healthy if and only if there is artificial flavouring and it is
not nutritious.

Solution:
a. P⇒ ~Q
b. ~Q ⇒ R
c. (P ᴧ R) ⇒ ~Q
d. ~P ⇔ (Q ᴧ ~R)

Converse, Inverse, Contrapositive

Suppose P and Q are propositions. Given the implication P ⇒ Q. Its converse is Q ⇒ P,

its inverse is ~P ⇒ ~Q, and its contrapositive is ~Q ⇒ ¬P.

That is,
If P then Q.
Inverse : If not P then not Q.
Converse : If Q then P.

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 Contrapositive : If not Q then not P.

To determine whether the conditional statement is true or false, we come up with the
following truth table. Referring to the truth table of the implication statement P ⇒ Q
below, we then create the truth table for the inverse, converse, and contrapositive
statements.

P Q P⇒Q
F F T
F T T
T F F
T T T

Truth table of the inverse, converse, and contrapositive of P ⇒ Q.

INVERSE CONVERSE CONTRAPOSITIVE

~P ⇒ ~Q Q⇒P ~Q ⇒ ~P
T T T
F F T
T T F
T T T

Example :
Give the inverse, converse, and contrapositive of the following implications:
a. If this movie is interesting, then I am watching it.
b. If p is a prime number, then it is odd.

Solution:
a. Inverse:
If this movie is not interesting, then I am not watching it.
Converse:

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 If I am watching this movie, then it is interesting.
Contrapositive:
If I am not watching this movie, then it is not interesting.

b. Inverse:
If p is not a prime number, then it is not odd.
Converse:
If p is an odd number, then it is prime.
Contrapositive:
If p is not odd, then it is not a prime number.

Example:
Identify three simple propositions in the statement below and label them P, Q, and R.
Then express symbolically the statement using the logical operators ᴧ, ˅, ⇒, ⇔, or ~.

Statement: A function f has an inverse if and only if f is one-to-one and onto.

Solution:
Let P: A function f has an inverse.
Q: f is one-to-one
R: f is onto.

Then using the mathematical symbols, the statement is equivalent to

P⇔ (Q ᴧ R).
The statement can also be written as
[ P ⇒ (Q ᴧ R) ] ᴧ [ (Q ᴧ R) ⇒ P ].

Quantifiers
Quantifiers are used to describe the variable(s) in a statement.
 Types:
1. The universal quantifier is usually written in the English language as “for all” or
“for every.” It is denoted by the symbol ∀.
2. The existential quantifier is expressed in words as “there exists” or “for some.”
This quantifier is denoted by ∃.

Compound Quantifiers
When one quantity is involved in a statement, it is common to encounter more than
one quantifier for that statement. Special care must be taken in the order in which
these quantifiers appear. Order does not matter if the same quantifier is used. For
example, the statement ∀x, ∀y, P(x, y) is the same as ∀y, ∀x, P(x, y). Similarly, for the

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 quantified sentence ∃x, ∃y, P(x, y) is equivalent to (∃y) (∃x) (P(x, y)). For mixed
quantifiers, order is definitely important. The statement ∀x, ∀y, P(x, y) is never always
equivalent to the sentence ∀y, ∀x, P(x, y).

Example: Write as an English sentence and determine if it is true or false.

a. ∀x ∈ R, ∃y ∈ R, x + y = 10

b. ∀x ∈ Z+, ∃y ∈ R, y2 = x

Solution:
a. For every real number x, there exists a real number y such that the sum of x and y
is equal to 10. TRUE

b. For every positive integer x, there exists a real number y such that the square of y
is equal to x. TRUE

Note: No need to submit your answers for this activity.

A. Determine the negation of the following propositions. (2 points each)

1. None of the participants enjoyed the presentation.

________________________________________________________________
2. The Lakers won the game.
________________________________________________________________
3. All even numbers are divisible by two.
________________________________________________________________
4. Some students are females.
________________________________________________________________
5. Nobody loves to be hurt all the time.

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 ________________________________________________________________
B. Present the statements in conditional (if – then) form.

1. BSAIS students are creative and critical thinkers. ( 2 points each)

________________________________________________________________
2. An equilateral triangle has three equal sides.
________________________________________________________________
3. The product of two even integers is an even integer.
________________________________________________________________
4. Every integer that is not odd is divisible by 2.
________________________________________________________________
5. The square of a number is nonnegative.
________________________________________________________________

C. Write the following statements in the symbolic form using the symbols (ᴧ, ˅, ⇒, ⇔, or ~ )
(2 points each)
Let P: The sun is shining.
Q: It is raining.
R: The ground is wet.

1. If it is raining, then the sun is not shining. _____________

2. It is raining and the ground is wet. _____________

3. The ground is wet if and only if it is raining and the sun is shining. _____________

4. The sun is shining or it is raining. _____________

5. The ground is not wet if and only if the sun is shining. _____________

6.

Note: Online test will be given.

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