MATHEMATICS IN THE

MODERN WORLD
CHAPTER 2: MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE & SYMBOLS
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this chapter, the learner 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.
CHARACTERISTICS OF
MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE
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 using technical terms and grammatical
conventions that are peculiar to mathematical discourse, supplemented by a
highly specialized symbolic notation for mathematical formulas.

 PRECISE (able to make very fine distinctions)

ex: + means add, - means subtract, × means multiply, ÷ means divide.
 CONCISE (able to say things briefly)
ex: Eight plus two equals ten which means 8+2=10.
 POWERFUL (able to express complex thoughts with relative ease).
-the application of critical thinking and problem solving skill requires
comprehension, analysis and reasoning to obtain the correct solution.
WRITING MATHEMATICAL LANGAUGE 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 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,

 On the other hand, a Mathematicsl sentence is the analogue of an English sentence it is a

correct arrangement of mathematical symbols that states a complete thought. Sentence have
verbs. In the mathematical sentence 3+4=7, the verb is =.
 A sentence can be (always) true, (always) false, or sometimes true/sometimes false
1+2=3 (true) 1+2=4 (false)
x=2 (true/false)
x+3=3+x (always true)
Mathematical Convention
 is a fact, name,notation, or usage which is generally
agreed upon by mathematicians.
ex:
2+3×4 =14  (MDAS)
2+3×4 =20 
 Mathematicians abide by conventions in order to
allow other mathematicians to understand what
they write without constantly having to redefine
basic terms.
 Perform Operations on Mathematical Expression
Correctly
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.
 MDAS- (Multiplication, Division, Addition, and Subtraction)
 PEMDAS - (Parentheses, Exponent, Multiplication, Division, Addition,
and Subtraction)
 BODMAS -(Brackets, Order, Division and Multiplication, Addition and
Subtraction)
Step 1: Do as much as you can simplify
everything inside the parentheses.
Step2: simplify everything exponential
numbers in the numerical expression
Step3: multiply and divide whichever comes
first, from left to right
Step4: Add and Subtract whichever comes
first, from left to right
FOUR BASIC CONCEPTS OF
MATHEMATICS
Set- is a collection of well- defined objects that contains no
duplicates.
 Relations- 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.
 Functions- a rule that pairs each element in one set,
called the domain, with exactly one element from second set,
called the range
 Binary Operations- is a calculation involving two
elements of the set to produce another element of set.
Set
 is a collection of well- defined objects that contains no duplicates.
 the objects in the set are called Elements of the set.
 we use braces { } to describe a set.

Ex:
1. The book 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..}
SPECIFICATION OF SETS
 LIST NOTATION/ROSTER METHOD- by listing all its members and are
enumerated and separated by comma.

Ex: {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10}

 PREDICATE NOTATION/RULE METHOD-by stating a property of its

elements

Ex: A= {x|x is a positive integer less than 10}

 RECURSIVE RULE- by defining a set of rules which generates or defines

its members

Ex: 1. The set E of even numbers greater than 3:

a) 4 Є E
b) If x Є E, then x+2 Є E
TYPES OF SET
 FINITE SET- contains elements that can be counted
Ex: A= { x|x is a positive integer less than 10}
 INFINITE SET- a set whose elements are unlimited/ uncountable
Ex: F= {x|x is a set of whole number}
 UNITE SET- set with only one elements, also called singleton.
Ex:L= {x|x is a whole number greater than 1 but less than 3} / L= {2}
 EMPTY SET/ NULL SET- is a unique set with no elements.
Ex: Ø , { }
 EQUAL SET- to set are equal if they contain exactly the same
elements.
Ex: {3,8,9} = {9,8,3}
{6,7,7,7,7} = {6,7}
 EQUIVALENT SET- two set are equivalent if they contain the same number of
elements.

Ex: {a,b,c} , {1,2,3} , {Ս,Ո,C}

 UNIVERSAL SET- a set that contains all the elements considered in a particular
situation and denoted by U.

Ex: {x|x is a positive integer, x²=4} / {1,2,3...,100}

{x|x is an animal in Manila Zoo}

 CARDINAL SET/NUMBER- is the number of elements or members in the set, it is

denoted by n(A)

Ex: E={a,e,i,o,u} n(E)=5

A{x|x is a positive integer less than 10} n(A)=9
 SUBSET- a set A is called a subset of set B if every element of A is
also an elements of B. A ⊆ B <=> x , X Є A —>X Є B.
There are 2 types of subsets:
 Proper subset (⊂) "is a subset of“- if only if every element of A is in B
but there is at least one element of B that is not in A.
 Improper subset (⊆) "is a subset or equal to“- if only if every element
of A is in B and every element of B is in A.
A=B <=>(A ⊆ B) ^ (B ⊆ A)
Ex: A={7,9} is a subset of B={6,9,7}
D={10,8,6} is a subset of G={10,8,6}
F={a,b,c} is a subset of M= {b,a,c}

 POWER SET- is the family of all the subset of A denoted by power ρ(A)
-can be express as 2n- (the-number-of-elements)
Ex: A= {x,y} , A= {Ø, {x}, {y}, {x,y} or {x|x is a subset of A}
OPERATION ON SETS
 UNION- Is an operation for sets A and B in which a set of all elements denoted by U as A ∪ B.
Ex: U= {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9}
A= {1,3,5,7} B={2,4,6,8} C={1,2}
Find: A ∪ B , A ∪ C , (A ∪ B) ∪ {8}
Sol: A ∪ B= {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8}
A ∪ C= {1,2,3,5,7}
A ∪ B) ∪ {8}={1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8}
 INTERSECTION- a set containing all elements common to both A and B denoted by ∩ as A ∩ B.
-A ∩ B= {x|x Є A v x Є B}
Ex: U={ a,b,c,d,e} A={c,d,e} B={a,c,e} C={a} and D= {e}
Find: B ∩ C , A ∩ C , (A ∩ B) ∩ D
Sol: (a) (Ø) {c,e}
 COMPLEMENTATION- is the set of all elements x in U such that x is not in A
- A={xЄU| x Є A}
Ex: U= {a,b,c,d,e} , A={c,d,e} find A
Sol: A= {a,b}
 DIFFERENCE/RELATIVE COMPLEMENT- is the set of all elements x in U such that x is in A and x is not
in B
A~B = (x|x Є A ^ x Є B)
Ex: A={a,b,c} and B={c,d,e} and U={a,b,c,d,e,f,g}
Sol: A~B= {a,b}
 SYMMETRIC DIFFERENCE- as the set consisting of all elements that belong to A or B, but not to
both A and B, denoted by A ∆ B.
A∆B = (A ∩ B) ~ (A ∩ B)
Ex: A={a,b,c} and B={c,d,e} and U={a,b,c,d,e,f,g}
Sol: A∆B= {a,b,d,e}
 DISJOINT/ NON- INTERSECTING- if and only if, they have no elements in common.
A∩B=Ø
Ex: A={a,b,c} and B={d,e}
 ORDERED PAIR- (a,b) is called the first component and b is called the second component. (a,b) ≠
(b,a)
Ex: (2,5)= (9-7, 2+3) while (2,5)≠(5,2)
 CARTESIAN PRODUCT OF SETS- in able to get AxB, we pair each element of A with each element
of B.
Ex: A={2,3,5} B={7,8}
QUIZ # 4
 Test 1. If A = {2, 3, 4, 5} B = {4, 5, 6, 7} C = {6, 7, 8, 9} D = {8, 9, 10, 11}, find

A∪B (A ∩ B) ∪ (B ∩ C)
A∪C (A ∪ D) ∩ (B ∪ C)
B∪D B ∪ (C ∪ D)
(A ∪ B) ∪ C A ∪ (B ∪ C)
(A ∩ B) ∪ C
A ∩ (B ∪ D)
 Test 2. Find the union and intersection of the following pairs of sets.

(1) A = The set of all letters of the word FEAST

B = The set of all letters of the word TASTE

(2) A = {x : x ∈ W, 0 < x ≤ 7}

B = {x : x ∈ W, 4 < x < 9}

(3) A = The set of all even numbers less than 12

B = The set of all odd numbers less than 11

(4) A = {x : x ∈ I, -2 < x < 2}

B = {x : x ∈ I, -1 < x < 4}

(5) A = {a, l, m, n, p}

B = {q, r, l, a, s, n}