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Lesson: 2 Mathematics in The Modern World

This document discusses the key characteristics of mathematical language compared to ordinary spoken language. It notes that mathematical language is [1] non-temporal, [2] devoid of emotional content, [3] precise with little ambiguity, [4] concise, and [5] powerful in expressing complex ideas with relative ease. It then provides examples of mathematical expressions and sentences, analogizing them to nouns and sentences in English. Finally, an exercise asks the reader to classify examples as expressions, sentences, and determine their truth values.

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Jayson DS
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554 views

Lesson: 2 Mathematics in The Modern World

This document discusses the key characteristics of mathematical language compared to ordinary spoken language. It notes that mathematical language is [1] non-temporal, [2] devoid of emotional content, [3] precise with little ambiguity, [4] concise, and [5] powerful in expressing complex ideas with relative ease. It then provides examples of mathematical expressions and sentences, analogizing them to nouns and sentences in English. Finally, an exercise asks the reader to classify examples as expressions, sentences, and determine their truth values.

Uploaded by

Jayson DS
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MODULE 2. MATHEMATICAL
LANGUAGE AND SYMBOLS
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LANGUAGE OF
MATHEMATICS
The use of language in mathematics differs from
the language of ordinary speech in the following
ways.
 
1. Mathematics language is non-temporal. There
is no past, present, or future in mathematics.
Everything just is. This presents difficulties in
forming convincing examples but it is not a major
difficulty for the student.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LANGUAGE OF
MATHEMATICS
2. Mathematics language is devoid of emotional content,
although informally mathematicians tend to enliven their
speech with phrases. Again, the absence of emotion from
formal mathematical discourse or its introduction in informal
discourse presents no difficulty for students.
 
3. Mathematics language is precise (able to make very fine
distinctions). Ordinary speech is full of ambiguities, hidden
agendas, and unspoken cultural assumptions. The very clarity
and lack of ambiguity in mathematics is actually a stumbling
block for the neophyte.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LANGUAGE OF
MATHEMATICS
4. Mathematics language is concise or shows
simplicity (able to say things briefly). Being concise is a
strong part of the culture in mathematical language.
5. Mathematics language is powerful (able to express
complex thoughts with relative ease).
The abstraction in mathematics is the desire to unify
diverse instances under a single conceptual framework
and allows easier penetration of the subject and the
development of more powerful methods (Sirug, 2018).
Mathematics: Expressions and Sentences

The mathematical analogue of a `noun' will be


called an expression. Thus, an expression is a name
given to a mathematical object of interest. Whereas
in English we need to talk about people, places, and
things, we'll see that mathematics has much
different `objects of interest'. The mathematical
analogue of a `sentence' will also be called a
sentence. A mathematical sentence, just as an
English sentence, must state a complete thought.
Mathematics: Expressions and Sentences
The table below summarizes the
analogy.

  ENGLISH MATHEMATICS
 

Name given to an object of interest NOUN (person, place, thing) EXPRESSION


Examples: Examples:
Carol 5
Idaho 2+3
book
 

A complete thought SENTENCE SENTENCE


Examples: Examples:
The capital of Idaho is Boise. 3+4=7
The capital of Idaho is Pocatello. 3+4=8
   
Exercise no.2
•• Classify
  the entries in the list below as an “English noun (EN)”, a
“mathematical expression (ME)”, an “English sentence (ES)” or
a “mathematical sentence (MS)”. Then, in each sentence
(English or mathematical).
 
1. Carol
2. 3 + 4 7
3. Aimer is kind.
4. t 2
5. 2 t
 
Exercise no.2
•A.   Classify the truth value of each entry that is a
sentences: ‘always true (AT)’, ‘always false (AF)’ or
‘sometimes true or sometimes false (STSF)’.
 
1. The word `cat' begins with the letter ` k '.
2. 1 + 2 = 4
3. 5 3 = 2
4. The cat is black.
5. x = 1

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