Contents |
This is a listing of common symbols found within all branches of mathematics. Each symbol is listed in both HTML, which depends on appropriate fonts to be installed, and in TeX, as an image.
Symbol in HTML |
Symbol in TeX |
Name | Explanation | Examples |
---|---|---|---|---|
Read as | ||||
Category | ||||
=
|
equality
is equal to; equals
everywhere
|
x = y means x and y do represent the same thing or value. | 2 = 2 1 + 1 = 2 |
|
≠
|
inequality
is not equal to; does not equal
everywhere
|
x ≠ y means that x and y do not represent the same thing or value. (The forms !=, /= or <> are generally used in programming languages where ease of typing and use of ASCII text is preferred.) |
2 + 2 ≠ 5 | |
<
> |
strict inequality
is less than, is greater than
|
x < y means x is less than y. x > y means x is greater than y. |
3 < 4 5 > 4 |
|
is a proper subgroup of
|
H < G means H is a proper subgroup of G. | 5Z < Z A3 < S3 |
||
≪
≫ |
(very) strict inequality
is much less than, is much greater than
|
x ≪ y means x is much less than y. x ≫ y means x is much greater than y. |
0.003 ≪ 1000000 | |
asymptotic comparison
of smaller (greater) order than
analytic number theory
|
f ≪ g means the growth of f is asymptotically bounded by g. (This is I. M. Vinogradov's notation. Another notation is the Big O notation, which looks like f = O(g).) |
x ≪ ex | ||
≤
≥ |
inequality
is less than or equal to, is greater than or equal to
|
x ≤ y means x is less than or equal to y. x ≥ y means x is greater than or equal to y. (The forms <= and >= are generally used in programming languages where ease of typing and use of ASCII text is preferred.) |
3 ≤ 4 and 5 ≤ 5 5 ≥ 4 and 5 ≥ 5 |
|
is a subgroup of
|
H ≤ G means H is a subgroup of G. | Z ≤ Z A3 ≤ S3 |
||
reduction
is reducible to
|
A ≤ B means the problem A can be reduced to the problem B. Subscripts can be added to the ≤ to indicate what kind of reduction. | If
then |
||
≺
|
Karp reduction
is Karp reducible to; is polynomial-time many-one reducible to
|
L1 ≺ L2 means that the problem L1 is Karp reducible to L2.[1] | If L1 ≺ L2 and L2 ∈ P, then L1 ∈ P. | |
∝
|
is proportional to; varies as
everywhere
|
y ∝ x means that y = kx for some constant k. | if y = 2x, then y ∝ x. | |
Karp reduction[2]
is Karp reducible to; is polynomial-time many-one reducible to
|
A ∝ B means the problem A can be polynomially reduced to the problem B. | If L1 ∝ L2 and L2 ∈ P, then L1 ∈ P. | ||
+
|
plus; add
|
4 + 6 means the sum of 4 and 6. | 2 + 7 = 9 | |
disjoint union
the disjoint union of ... and ...
set theory
|
A1 + A2 means the disjoint union of sets A1 and A2. | A1 = {3, 4, 5, 6} ∧ A2 = {7, 8, 9, 10} ⇒ A1 + A2 = {(3,1), (4,1), (5,1), (6,1), (7,2), (8,2), (9,2), (10,2)} |
||
−
|
minus; take; subtract
|
9 − 4 means the subtraction of 4 from 9. | 8 − 3 = 5 | |
negative; minus; the opposite of
|
−3 means the negative of the number 3. | −(−5) = 5 | ||
minus; without
set theory
|
A − B means the set that contains all the elements of A that are not in B. (∖ can also be used for set-theoretic complement as described below.) |
{1,2,4} − {1,3,4} = {2} | ||
×
|
times; multiplied by
|
3 × 4 means the multiplication of 3 by 4. | 7 × 8 = 56 | |
the Cartesian product of ... and ...; the direct product of ... and ...
set theory
|
X×Y means the set of all ordered pairs with the first element of each pair selected from X and the second element selected from Y. | {1,2} × {3,4} = {(1,3),(1,4),(2,3),(2,4)} | ||
cross
|
u × v means the cross product of vectors u and v | (1,2,5) × (3,4,−1) = (−22, 16, − 2) |
||
group of units
the group of units of
ring theory
|
R× consists of the set of units of the ring R, along with the operation of multiplication. This may also be written R* as described below, or U(R). |
|||
·
|
times; multiplied by
|
3 · 4 means the multiplication of 3 by 4. | 7 · 8 = 56 | |
dot
|
u · v means the dot product of vectors u and v | (1,2,5) · (3,4,−1) = 6 | ||
÷
⁄ |
division (Obelus)
divided by; over
|
6 ÷ 3 or 6 ⁄ 3 means the division of 6 by 3. | 2 ÷ 4 = .5 12 ⁄ 4 = 3 |
|
quotient group
mod
|
G / H means the quotient of group G modulo its subgroup H. | {0, a, 2a, b, b+a, b+2a} / {0, b} = {{0, b}, {a, b+a}, {2a, b+2a}} | ||
quotient set
mod
|
A/~ means the set of all ~ equivalence classes in A. | If we define ~ by x ~ y ⇔ x − y ∈ ℤ, then ℝ/~ = {x + n : n ∈ ℤ : x ∈ (0,1]} |
||
±
|
plus-minus
plus or minus
|
6 ± 3 means both 6 + 3 and 6 − 3. | The equation x = 5 ± √4, has two solutions, x = 7 and x = 3. | |
plus-minus
plus or minus
|
10 ± 2 or equivalently 10 ± 20% means the range from 10 − 2 to 10 + 2. | If a = 100 ± 1 mm, then a ≤ 99 mm and a ≥ 101 mm. | ||
∓
|
minus-plus
minus or plus
|
6 ± (3 ∓ 5) means both 6 + (3 − 5) and 6 − (3 + 5). | cos(x ± y) = cos(x) cos(y) ∓ sin(x) sin(y). | |
√
|
the (principal) square root of
|
means the positive number whose square is . | ||
the (complex) square root of
|
if is represented in polar coordinates with , then . | |||
|…|
|
absolute value or modulus
absolute value of; modulus of
|
|x| means the distance along the real line (or across the complex plane) between x and zero. | |3| = 3 |–5| = |5| = 5 | i | = 1 | 3 + 4i | = 5 |
|
Euclidean distance
Euclidean distance between; Euclidean norm of
|
|x – y| means the Euclidean distance between x and y. | For x = (1,1), and y = (4,5), |
||
determinant of
|
|A| means the determinant of the matrix A | |||
cardinality of; size of; order of
|
|X| means the cardinality of the set X. (# may be used instead as described below.) |
|{3, 5, 7, 9}| = 4. | ||
||…||
|
norm
norm of; length of
|
|| x || means the norm of the element x of a normed vector space.[3] | || x + y || ≤ || x || + || y || | |
nearest integer function
nearest integer to
|
||x|| means the nearest integer to x. (This may also be written [x], ⌊x⌉, nint(x) or Round(x).) |
||1|| = 1, ||1.6|| = 2, ||−2.4|| = −2, ||3.49|| = 3 | ||
∣
∤ |
divides
|
a|b means a divides b. a∤b means a does not divide b. (This symbol can be difficult to type, and its negation is rare, so a regular but slightly shorter vertical bar | character can be used.) |
Since 15 = 3×5, it is true that 3|15 and 5|15. | |
given
|
P(A|B) means the probability of the event a occurring given that b occurs. | if X is a uniformly random day of the year P(X is May 25 | X is in May) = 1/31 | ||
restriction
restriction of … to …; restricted to
set theory
|
f|A means the function f restricted to the set A, that is, it is the function with domain A ∩ dom(f) that agrees with f. | The function f : R → R defined by f(x) = x2 is not injective, but f|R+ is injective. | ||
||
|
is parallel to
|
x || y means x is parallel to y. | If l || m and m ⊥ n then l ⊥ n. | |
incomparability
is incomparable to
|
x || y means x is incomparable to y. | {1,2} || {2,3} under set containment. | ||
exact divisibility
exactly divides
|
pa || n means pa exactly divides n (i.e. pa divides n but pa+1 does not). | 23 || 360. | ||
#
|
cardinality of; size of; order of
|
#X means the cardinality of the set X. (|…| may be used instead as described above.) |
#{4, 6, 8} = 3 | |
connected sum
connected sum of; knot sum of; knot composition of
|
A#B is the connected sum of the manifolds A and B. If A and B are knots, then this denotes the knot sum, which has a slightly stronger condition. | A#Sm is homeomorphic to A, for any manifold A, and the sphere Sm. | ||
ℵ
|
aleph number
aleph
|
ℵα represents an infinite cardinality (specifically, the α-th one, where α is an ordinal). | |ℕ| = ℵ0, which is called aleph-null. | |
ℶ
|
beth number
beth
|
ℶα represents an infinite cardinality (similar to ℵ, but ℶ does not necessarily index all of the numbers indexed by ℵ. ). | ||
𝔠
|
cardinality of the continuum
cardinality of the continuum; cardinality of the real numbers; c;
|
The cardinality of is denoted by or by the symbol (a lowercase Fraktur letter C). | ||
:
|
such that
such that; so that
everywhere
|
: means “such that”, and is used in proofs and the set-builder notation (described below). | ∃ n ∈ ℕ: n is even. | |
field extension
extends; over
field theory
|
K : F means the field K extends the field F. This may also be written as K ≥ F. |
ℝ : ℚ | ||
inner product of matrices
inner product of
|
A : B means the Frobenius inner product of the matrices A and B. The general inner product is denoted by ⟨u, v⟩, ⟨u | v⟩ or (u | v), as described below. For spatial vectors, the dot product notation, x·y is common. See also Bra-ket notation. |
|||
index of a subgroup
index of subgroup
|
The index of a subgroup H in a group G is the "relative size" of H in G: equivalently, the number of "copies" (cosets) of H that fill up G | |||
!
|
factorial
|
n! means the product 1 × 2 × ... × n. | 4! = 1 × 2 × 3 × 4 = 24 | |
not
|
The statement !A is true if and only if A is false. A slash placed through another operator is the same as "!" placed in front. (The symbol ! is primarily from computer science. It is avoided in mathematical texts, where the notation ¬A is preferred.) |
!(!A) ⇔ A x ≠ y ⇔ !(x = y) |
||
~
|
has distribution
|
X ~ D, means the random variable X has the probability distribution D. | X ~ N(0,1), the standard normal distribution | |
row equivalence
is row equivalent to
|
A~B means that B can be generated by using a series of elementary row operations on A | |||
same order of magnitude
roughly similar; poorly approximates
approximation theory
|
m ~ n means the quantities m and n have the same order of magnitude, or general size. (Note that ~ is used for an approximation that is poor, otherwise use ≈ .) |
2 ~ 5 8 × 9 ~ 100 but π2 ≈ 10 |
||
asymptotically equivalent
is asymptotically equivalent to
asymptotic analysis
|
f ~ g means . | x ~ x+1 |
||
are in the same equivalence class
everywhere
|
a ~ b means (and equivalently ). | 1 ~ 5 mod 4 |
||
≈
|
approximately equal
is approximately equal to
everywhere
|
x ≈ y means x is approximately equal to y. | π ≈ 3.14159 | |
is isomorphic to
|
G ≈ H means that group G is isomorphic (structurally identical) to group H. (≅ can also be used for isomorphic, as described below.) |
Q / {1, −1} ≈ V, where Q is the quaternion group and V is the Klein four-group. |
||
≀
|
wreath product
wreath product of … by …
|
A ≀ H means the wreath product of the group A by the group H. This may also be written A wr H. |
is isomorphic to the automorphism group of the complete bipartite graph on (n,n) vertices. | |
◅
▻ |
normal subgroup
is a normal subgroup of
|
N ◅ G means that N is a normal subgroup of group G. | Z(G) ◅ G | |
is an ideal of
ring theory
|
I ◅ R means that I is an ideal of ring R. | (2) ◅ Z | ||
antijoin
the antijoin of
relational algebra
|
R ▻ S means the antijoin of the relations R and S, the tuples in R for which there is not a tuple in S that is equal on their common attribute names. | R S = R - R S | ||
⋉
⋊ |
semidirect product
the semidirect product of
|
N ⋊φ H is the semidirect product of N (a normal subgroup) and H (a subgroup), with respect to φ. Also, if G = N ⋊φ H, then G is said to split over N. (⋊ may also be written the other way round, as ⋉, or as ×.) |
||
semijoin
the semijoin of
relational algebra
|
R ⋉ S is the semijoin of the relations R and S, the set of all tuples in R for which there is a tuple in S that is equal on their common attribute names. | R S = a1,..,an(R S) | ||
⋈
|
natural join
the natural join of
relational algebra
|
R ⋈ S is the natural join of the relations R and S, the set of all combinations of tuples in R and S that are equal on their common attribute names. | ||
∴
|
therefore
therefore; so; hence
everywhere
|
Sometimes used in proofs before logical consequences. | All humans are mortal. Socrates is a human. ∴ Socrates is mortal. | |
∵
|
because
because; since
everywhere
|
Sometimes used in proofs before reasoning. | 3331 is prime ∵ it has no positive integer factors other than itself and one. | |
■
□ ∎ ▮ ‣ |
end of proof
QED; tombstone; Halmos symbol
everywhere
|
Used to mark the end of a proof. (May also be written Q.E.D.) |
||
⇒
→ ⊃ |
material implication
implies; if … then
propositional logic, Heyting algebra
|
A ⇒ B means if A is true then B is also true; if A is false then nothing is said about B. (→ may mean the same as ⇒, or it may have the meaning for functions given below.) (⊃ may mean the same as ⇒,[4] or it may have the meaning for superset given below.) |
x = 2 ⇒ x2 = 4 is true, but x2 = 4 ⇒ x = 2 is in general false (since x could be −2). | |
⇔
↔ |
if and only if; iff
|
A ⇔ B means A is true if B is true and A is false if B is false. | x + 5 = y +2 ⇔ x + 3 = y | |
¬
˜ |
not
|
The statement ¬A is true if and only if A is false. A slash placed through another operator is the same as "¬" placed in front. (The symbol ~ has many other uses, so ¬ or the slash notation is preferred. Computer scientists will often use ! but this is avoided in mathematical texts.) |
¬(¬A) ⇔ A x ≠ y ⇔ ¬(x = y) |
|
∧
|
logical conjunction or meet in a lattice
and; min; meet
|
The statement A ∧ B is true if A and B are both true; else it is false. For functions A(x) and B(x), A(x) ∧ B(x) is used to mean min(A(x), B(x)). |
n < 4 ∧ n >2 ⇔ n = 3 when n is a natural number. | |
wedge product; exterior product
|
u ∧ v means the wedge product of vectors u and v. This generalizes the cross product to higher dimensions. (For vectors in R3, × can also be used.) |
|||
… (raised) to the power of …
everywhere
|
a ^ b means a raised to the power of b (a ^ b is more commonly written ab. The symbol ^ is generally used in programming languages where ease of typing and use of plain ASCII text is preferred.) |
2^3 = 23 = 8 | ||
∨
|
logical disjunction or join in a lattice
or; max; join
|
The statement A ∨ B is true if A or B (or both) are true; if both are false, the statement is false. For functions A(x) and B(x), A(x) ∨ B(x) is used to mean max(A(x), B(x)). |
n ≥ 4 ∨ n ≤ 2 ⇔ n ≠ 3 when n is a natural number. | |
⊕
⊻ |
xor
|
The statement A ⊕ B is true when either A or B, but not both, are true. A ⊻ B means the same. | (¬A) ⊕ A is always true, A ⊕ A is always false. | |
direct sum
direct sum of
|
The direct sum is a special way of combining several objects into one general object. (The bun symbol ⊕, or the coproduct symbol ∐, is used; ⊻ is only for logic.) |
Most commonly, for vector spaces U, V, and W, the following consequence is used: U = V ⊕ W ⇔ (U = V + W) ∧ (V ∩ W = {0}) |
||
∀
|
universal quantification
for all; for any; for each
predicate logic
|
∀ x: P(x) means P(x) is true for all x. | ∀ n ∈ ℕ: n2 ≥ n. | |
∃
|
existential quantification
there exists; there is; there are
predicate logic
|
∃ x: P(x) means there is at least one x such that P(x) is true. | ∃ n ∈ ℕ: n is even. | |
∃!
|
uniqueness quantification
there exists exactly one
predicate logic
|
∃! x: P(x) means there is exactly one x such that P(x) is true. | ∃! n ∈ ℕ: n + 5 = 2n. | |
=:
:= ≡ :⇔ ≜ ≝ ≐ |
is defined as; is equal by definition to
everywhere
|
x := y, y =: x or x ≡ y means x is defined to be another name for y, under certain assumptions taken in context. (Some writers use ≡ to mean congruence). P :⇔ Q means P is defined to be logically equivalent to Q. |
||
≅
|
is congruent to
|
△ABC ≅ △DEF means triangle ABC is congruent to (has the same measurements as) triangle DEF. | ||
is isomorphic to
|
G ≅ H means that group G is isomorphic (structurally identical) to group H. (≈ can also be used for isomorphic, as described above.) |
. | ||
≡
|
... is congruent to ... modulo ...
|
a ≡ b (mod n) means a − b is divisible by n | 5 ≡ 2 (mod 3) | |
{ , }
|
set brackets
the set of …
set theory
|
{a,b,c} means the set consisting of a, b, and c.[5] | ℕ = { 1, 2, 3, …} | |
{ : }
{ | } |
set builder notation
the set of … such that
set theory
|
{x : P(x)} means the set of all x for which P(x) is true.[5] {x | P(x)} is the same as {x : P(x)}. | {n ∈ ℕ : n2 < 20} = { 1, 2, 3, 4} | |
∅
{ } |
the empty set
set theory
|
∅ means the set with no elements.[5] { } means the same. | {n ∈ ℕ : 1 < n2 < 4} = ∅ | |
∈
∉ |
set membership
is an element of; is not an element of
everywhere, set theory
|
a ∈ S means a is an element of the set S;[5] a ∉ S means a is not an element of S.[5] | (1/2)−1 ∈ ℕ 2−1 ∉ ℕ |
|
⊆
⊂ |
is a subset of
set theory
|
(subset) A ⊆ B means every element of A is also an element of B.[6] (proper subset) A ⊂ B means A ⊆ B but A ≠ B. (Some writers use the symbol ⊂ as if it were the same as ⊆.) |
(A ∩ B) ⊆ A ℕ ⊂ ℚ ℚ ⊂ ℝ |
|
⊇
⊃ |
is a superset of
set theory
|
A ⊇ B means every element of B is also an element of A. A ⊃ B means A ⊇ B but A ≠ B. (Some writers use the symbol ⊃ as if it were the same as ⊇.) |
(A ∪ B) ⊇ B ℝ ⊃ ℚ |
|
∪
|
the union of … or …; union
set theory
|
A ∪ B means the set of those elements which are either in A, or in B, or in both.[6] | A ⊆ B ⇔ (A ∪ B) = B | |
∩
|
intersected with; intersect
set theory
|
A ∩ B means the set that contains all those elements that A and B have in common.[6] | {x ∈ ℝ : x2 = 1} ∩ ℕ = {1} | |
∆
|
symmetric difference
symmetric difference
set theory
|
A ∆ B means the set of elements in exactly one of A or B. (Not to be confused with delta, Δ, described below.) |
{1,5,6,8} ∆ {2,5,8} = {1,2,6} | |
∖
|
minus; without
set theory
|
A ∖ B means the set that contains all those elements of A that are not in B.[6] (− can also be used for set-theoretic complement as described above.) |
{1,2,3,4} ∖ {3,4,5,6} = {1,2} | |
→
|
function arrow
from … to
set theory, type theory
|
f: X → Y means the function f maps the set X into the set Y. | Let f: ℤ → ℕ∪{0} be defined by f(x) := x2. | |
↦
|
function arrow
maps to
set theory
|
f: a ↦ b means the function f maps the element a to the element b. | Let f: x ↦ x+1 (the successor function). | |
∘
|
composed with
set theory
|
f∘g is the function, such that (f∘g)(x) = f(g(x)).[7] | if f(x) := 2x, and g(x) := x + 3, then (f∘g)(x) = 2(x + 3). | |
ℕ
N |
N; the (set of) natural numbers
|
N means either { 0, 1, 2, 3, ...} or { 1, 2, 3, ...}. The choice depends on the area of mathematics being studied; e.g. number theorists prefer the latter; analysts, set theorists and computer scientists prefer the former. To avoid confusion, always check an author's definition of N. Set theorists often use the notation ω (for least infinite ordinal) to denote the set of natural numbers (including zero), along with the standard ordering relation ≤. |
ℕ = {|a| : a ∈ ℤ} or ℕ = {|a| > 0: a ∈ ℤ} | |
ℤ
Z |
Z; the (set of) integers
|
ℤ means {..., −3, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ...}.
ℤ+ or ℤ> means {1, 2, 3, ...} . ℤ≥ means {0, 1, 2, 3, ...} . |
ℤ = {p, −p : p ∈ ℕ ∪ {0}} | |
ℤn
ℤp Zn Zp |
Zn; the (set of) integers modulo n
|
ℤn means {[0], [1], [2], ...[n−1]} with addition and multiplication modulo n. Note that any letter may be used instead of n, such as p. To avoid confusion with p-adic numbers, use ℤ/pℤ or ℤ/(p) instead. |
ℤ3 = {[0], [1], [2]} | |
the (set of) p-adic integers
|
Note that any letter may be used instead of p, such as n or l. |
|||
ℙ
P |
projective space
P; the projective space, the projective line, the projective plane
|
ℙ means a space with a point at infinity. | , | |
the probability of
|
ℙ(X) means the probability of the event X occurring. This may also be written as P(X), Pr(X), P[X] or Pr[X]. |
If a fair coin is flipped, ℙ(Heads) = ℙ(Tails) = 0.5. | ||
ℚ
Q |
Q; the (set of) rational numbers; the rationals
|
ℚ means {p/q : p ∈ ℤ, q ∈ ℕ}. | 3.14000... ∈ ℚ π ∉ ℚ |
|
ℝ
R |
R; the (set of) real numbers; the reals
|
ℝ means the set of real numbers. | π ∈ ℝ √(−1) ∉ ℝ |
|
ℂ
C |
C; the (set of) complex numbers
|
ℂ means {a + b i : a,b ∈ ℝ}. | i = √(−1) ∈ ℂ | |
ℍ
H |
quaternions or Hamiltonian quaternions
H; the (set of) quaternions
|
ℍ means {a + b i + c j + d k : a,b,c,d ∈ ℝ}. | ||
O
|
big-oh of
|
The Big O notation describes the limiting behavior of a function, when the argument tends towards a particular value or infinity. | If f(x) = 6x4 − 2x3 + 5 and g(x) = x4 , then | |
∞
|
infinity
|
∞ is an element of the extended number line that is greater than all real numbers; it often occurs in limits. | ||
⌊…⌋
|
floor; greatest integer; entier
|
⌊x⌋ means the floor of x, i.e. the largest integer less than or equal to x. (This may also be written [x], floor(x) or int(x).) |
⌊4⌋ = 4, ⌊2.1⌋ = 2, ⌊2.9⌋ = 2, ⌊−2.6⌋ = −3 | |
⌈…⌉
|
ceiling
|
⌈x⌉ means the ceiling of x, i.e. the smallest integer greater than or equal to x. (This may also be written ceil(x) or ceiling(x).) |
⌈4⌉ = 4, ⌈2.1⌉ = 3, ⌈2.9⌉ = 3, ⌈−2.6⌉ = −2 | |
⌊…⌉
|
nearest integer function
nearest integer to
|
⌊x⌉ means the nearest integer to x. (This may also be written [x], ||x||, nint(x) or Round(x).) |
⌊2⌉ = 2, ⌊2.6⌉ = 3, ⌊-3.4⌉ = -3, ⌊4.49⌉ = 4 | |
[ : ]
|
degree of a field extension
the degree of
field theory
|
[K : F] means the degree of the extension K : F. | [ℚ(√2) : ℚ] = 2 [ℂ : ℝ] = 2 [ℝ : ℚ] = ∞ |
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[ ]
[ , ] [ , , ] |
equivalence class
the equivalence class of
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[a] means the equivalence class of a, i.e. {x : x ~ a}, where ~ is an equivalence relation. [a]R means the same, but with R as the equivalence relation. |
Let a ~ b be true iff a ≡ b (mod 5).
Then [2] = {…, −8, −3, 2, 7, …}. |
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floor; greatest integer; entier
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[x] means the floor of x, i.e. the largest integer less than or equal to x. (This may also be written ⌊x⌋, floor(x) or int(x). Not to be confused with the nearest integer function, as described below.) |
[3] = 3, [3.5] = 3, [3.99] = 3, [−3.7] = −4 | ||
nearest integer function
nearest integer to
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[x] means the nearest integer to x. (This may also be written ⌊x⌉, ||x||, nint(x) or Round(x). Not to be confused with the floor function, as described above.) |
[2] = 2, [2.6] = 3, [-3.4] = -3, [4.49] = 4 | ||
Iverson bracket
1 if true, 0 otherwise
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[S] maps a true statement S to 1 and a false statement S to 0. | [0=5]=0, [7>0]=1, [2 ∈ {2,3,4}]=1, [5 ∈ {2,3,4}]=0 | ||
image
image of … under …
everywhere
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f[X] means { f(x) : x ∈ X }, the image of the function f under the set X ⊆ dom(f). (This may also be written as f(X) if there is no risk of confusing the image of f under X with the function application f of X. Another notation is Im f, the image of f under its domain.) |
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closed interval
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. | 0 and 1/2 are in the interval [0,1]. | ||
commutator
the commutator of
group theory, ring theory
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[g, h] = g−1h−1gh (or ghg−1h−1), if g, h ∈ G (a group). [a, b] = ab − ba, if a, b ∈ R (a ring or commutative algebra). |
xy = x[x, y] (group theory). [AB, C] = A[B, C] + [A, C]B (ring theory). |
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triple scalar product
the triple scalar product of
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[a, b, c] = a × b · c, the scalar product of a × b with c. | [a, b, c] = [b, c, a] = [c, a, b]. | ||
( )
( , ) |
function application
of
set theory
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f(x) means the value of the function f at the element x. | If f(x) := x2, then f(3) = 32 = 9. | |
image
image of … under …
everywhere
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f(X) means { f(x) : x ∈ X }, the image of the function f under the set X ⊆ dom(f). (This may also be written as f[X] if there is a risk of confusing the image of f under X with the function application f of X. Another notation is Im f, the image of f under its domain.) |
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precedence grouping
parentheses
everywhere
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Perform the operations inside the parentheses first. | (8/4)/2 = 2/2 = 1, but 8/(4/2) = 8/2 = 4. | ||
tuple; n-tuple; ordered pair/triple/etc; row vector; sequence
everywhere
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An ordered list (or sequence, or horizontal vector, or row vector) of values.
(Note that the notation (a,b) is ambiguous: it could be an ordered pair or an open interval. Set theorists and computer scientists often use angle brackets ⟨ ⟩ instead of parentheses.) |
(a, b) is an ordered pair (or 2-tuple).
(a, b, c) is an ordered triple (or 3-tuple). ( ) is the empty tuple (or 0-tuple). |
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highest common factor; greatest common divisor; hcf; gcd
number theory
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(a, b) means the highest common factor of a and b. (This may also be written hcf(a, b) or gcd(a, b).) |
(3, 7) = 1 (they are coprime); (15, 25) = 5. | ||
( , )
] , [ |
open interval
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.
(Note that the notation (a,b) is ambiguous: it could be an ordered pair or an open interval. The notation ]a,b[ can be used instead.) |
4 is not in the interval (4, 18).
(0, +∞) equals the set of positive real numbers. |
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( , ]
] , ] |
half-open interval; left-open interval
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. | (−1, 7] and (−∞, −1] | |
[ , )
[ , [ |
half-open interval; right-open interval
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. | [4, 18) and [1, +∞) | |
⟨⟩
⟨,⟩ |
inner product of
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⟨u,v⟩ means the inner product of u and v, where u and v are members of an inner product space. Note that the notation ⟨u, v⟩ may be ambiguous: it could mean the inner product or the linear span. There are many variants of the notation, such as ⟨u | v⟩ and (u | v), which are described below. For spatial vectors, the dot product notation, x·y is common. For matrices, the colon notation A : B may be used. As ⟨ and ⟩ can be hard to type, the more “keyboard friendly” forms < and > are sometimes seen. These are avoided in mathematical texts. |
The standard inner product between two vectors x = (2, 3) and y = (−1, 5) is: ⟨x, y⟩ = 2 × −1 + 3 × 5 = 13 |
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average of
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let S be a subset of N for example, represents the average of all the element in S. | for a time series :g(t) (t = 1, 2,...)
we can define the structure functions Sq(): |
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linear span
(linear) span of;
linear hull of |
⟨S⟩ means the span of S ⊆ V. That is, it is the intersection of all subspaces of V which contain S. ⟨u1, u2, …⟩is shorthand for ⟨{u1, u2, …}⟩.
Note that the notation ⟨u, v⟩ may be ambiguous: it could mean the inner product or the linear span. |
. | ||
subgroup generated by a set
the subgroup generated by
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means the smallest subgroup of G (where S ⊆ G, a group) containing every element of S. is shorthand for . |
In S3, and . | ||
tuple; n-tuple; ordered pair/triple/etc; row vector; sequence
everywhere
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An ordered list (or sequence, or horizontal vector, or row vector) of values.
(The notation (a,b) is often used as well.) |
is an ordered pair (or 2-tuple).
is an ordered triple (or 3-tuple). is the empty tuple (or 0-tuple). |
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⟨|⟩
(|) |
inner product of
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⟨u | v⟩ means the inner product of u and v, where u and v are members of an inner product space.[8] (u | v) means the same. Another variant of the notation is ⟨u, v⟩ which is described above. For spatial vectors, the dot product notation, x·y is common. For matrices, the colon notation A : B may be used. As ⟨ and ⟩ can be hard to type, the more “keyboard friendly” forms < and > are sometimes seen. These are avoided in mathematical texts. |
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|⟩
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the ket …; the vector …
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|φ⟩ means the vector with label φ, which is in a Hilbert space. | A qubit's state can be represented as α|0⟩+ β|1⟩, where α and β are complex numbers s.t. |α|2 + |β|2 = 1. | |
⟨|
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the bra …; the dual of …
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⟨φ| means the dual of the vector |φ⟩, a linear functional which maps a ket |ψ⟩ onto the inner product ⟨φ|ψ⟩. | ||
∑
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sum over … from … to … of
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means a1 + a2 + … + an. | = 12 + 22 + 32 + 42
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∏
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product over … from … to … of
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means a1a2···an. | = (1+2)(2+2)(3+2)(4+2)
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the Cartesian product of; the direct product of
set theory
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means the set of all (n+1)-tuples
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∐
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coproduct
coproduct over … from … to … of
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A general construction which subsumes the disjoint union of sets and of topological spaces, the free product of groups, and the direct sum of modules and vector spaces. The coproduct of a family of objects is essentially the "least specific" object to which each object in the family admits a morphism. | ||
′
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… prime;
derivative of |
f ′(x) means the derivative of the function f at the point x, i.e., the slope of the tangent to f at x. (The single-quote character ' is sometimes used instead, especially in ASCII text.) |
If f(x) := x2, then f ′(x) = 2x | |
•
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… dot;
time derivative of |
means the derivative of x with respect to time. That is . | If x(t) := t2, then . | |
∫
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indefinite integral of
the antiderivative of |
∫ f(x) dx means a function whose derivative is f. | ∫x2 dx = x3/3 + C | |
integral from … to … of … with respect to
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∫ab f(x) dx means the signed area between the x-axis and the graph of the function f between x = a and x = b. | ∫ab x2 dx = b3/3 − a3/3; | ||
line/path/curve integral of … along …
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∫C f ds means the integral of f along the curve C, , where r is a parametrization of C. (If the curve is closed, the symbol ∮ may be used instead, as described below.) |
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∮
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Contour integral or closed line integral
contour integral of
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Similar to the integral, but used to denote a single integration over a closed curve or loop. It is sometimes used in physics texts involving equations regarding Gauss's Law, and while these formulas involve a closed surface integral, the representations describe only the first integration of the volume over the enclosing surface. Instances where the latter requires simultaneous double integration, the symbol ∯ would be more appropriate. A third related symbol is the closed volume integral, denoted by the symbol ∰.
The contour integral can also frequently be found with a subscript capital letter C, ∮C, denoting that a closed loop integral is, in fact, around a contour C, or sometimes dually appropriately, a circle C. In representations of Gauss's Law, a subscript capital S, ∮S, is used to denote that the integration is over a closed surface. |
If C is a Jordan curve about 0, then . | |
∇
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del, nabla, gradient of
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∇f (x1, …, xn) is the vector of partial derivatives (∂f / ∂x1, …, ∂f / ∂xn). | If f (x,y,z) := 3xy + z², then ∇f = (3y, 3x, 2z) | |
del dot, divergence of
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If , then . | |||
curl of
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If , then . | |||
∂
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partial, d
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∂f/∂xi means the partial derivative of f with respect to xi, where f is a function on (x1, …, xn). See also: ∂. |
If f(x,y) := x2y, then ∂f/∂x = 2xy | |
boundary of
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∂M means the boundary of M | ∂{x : ||x|| ≤ 2} = {x : ||x|| = 2} | ||
degree of a polynomial
degree of
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∂f means the degree of the polynomial f. (This may also be written deg f.) |
∂(x2 − 1) = 2 | ||
Δ
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delta; change in
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Δx means a (non-infinitesimal) change in x. (If the change becomes infinitesimal, δ and even d are used instead. Not to be confused with the symmetric difference, written ∆, above.) |
is the gradient of a straight line | |
δ
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Dirac delta of
hyperfunction
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δ(x) | ||
Kronecker delta of
hyperfunction
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δij | |||
π
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projection
Projection of
Relational algebra
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restricts to the attribute set. | ||
σ
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selection
Selection of
Relational algebra
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The selection selects all those tuples in for which holds between the and the attribute. The selection selects all those tuples in for which holds between the attribute and the value . | ||
<:
<· |
cover
is covered by
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x <• y means that x is covered by y. | {1, 8} <• {1, 3, 8} among the subsets of {1, 2, …, 10} ordered by containment. | |
subtype
is a subtype of
type theory
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T1 <: T2 means that T1 is a subtype of T2. | If S <: T and T <: U then S <: U (transitivity). | ||
†
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conjugate transpose
conjugate transpose; Hermitian adjoint/conjugate/transpose; adjoint
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A† means the transpose of the complex conjugate of A.[9] This may also be written A*T, AT*, A*, AT or AT. |
If A = (aij) then A† = (aji). | |
T
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transpose
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AT means A, but with its rows swapped for columns. This may also be written At or Atr. |
If A = (aij) then AT = (aji). | |
⊤
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top element
the top element
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⊤ means the largest element of a lattice. | ∀x : x ∨ ⊤ = ⊤ | |
top type
the top type; top
type theory
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⊤ means the top or universal type; every type in the type system of interest is a subtype of top. | ∀ types T, T <: ⊤ | ||
⊥
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is perpendicular to
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x ⊥ y means x is perpendicular to y; or more generally x is orthogonal to y. | If l ⊥ m and m ⊥ n in the plane then l || n. | |
orthogonal complement
orthogonal/perpendicular complement of; perp
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W⊥ means the orthogonal complement of W (where W is a subspace of the inner product space V), the set of all vectors in V orthogonal to every vector in W. | Within , . | ||
is coprime to
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x ⊥ y means x has no factor in common with y. | 34 ⊥ 55. | ||
independent
is independent of
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A ⊥ B means A is an event whose propability is independent of event B. | If A ⊥ B, then P(A|B) = P(A). | ||
bottom element
the bottom element
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⊥ means the smallest element of a lattice. | ∀x : x ∧ ⊥ = ⊥ | ||
bottom type
the bottom type; bot
type theory
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⊥ means the bottom type (a.k.a. the zero type or empty type); bottom is the subtype of every type in the type system. | ∀ types T, ⊥ <: T | ||
comparability
is comparable to
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x ⊥ y means that x is comparable to y. | {e, π} ⊥ {1, 2, e, 3, π} under set containment. | ||
⊧
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entailment
entails
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A ⊧ B means the sentence A entails the sentence B, that is in every model in which A is true, B is also true. | A ⊧ A ∨ ¬A | |
⊢
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inference
infers; is derived from
propositional logic, predicate logic
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x ⊢ y means y is derivable from x. | A → B ⊢ ¬B → ¬A. | |
⊗
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tensor product, tensor product of modules
tensor product of
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means the tensor product of V and U.[10] means the tensor product of modules V and U over the ring R. | {1, 2, 3, 4} ⊗ {1, 1, 2} = {{1, 2, 3, 4}, {1, 2, 3, 4}, {2, 4, 6, 8}} |
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*
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convolution, convolved with
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f * g means the convolution of f and g. | . | |
conjugate
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z* means the complex conjugate of z. ( can also be used for the conjugate of z, as described below.) |
. | ||
group of units
the group of units of
ring theory
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R* consists of the set of units of the ring R, along with the operation of multiplication. This may also be written R× as described above, or U(R). |
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the (set of) hyperreals
non-standard analysis
|
*R means the set of hyperreal numbers. Other sets can be used in place of R. | *N is the hypernatural numbers. | ||
Hodge dual
Hodge dual, Hodge star
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*v means the Hodge dual of a vector v. If v is a k-vector within an n-dimensional oriented inner product space, then *v is an (n−k)-vector. | If are the standard basis vectors of , | ||
x
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overbar, … bar
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(often read as “x bar”) is the mean (average value of ). | . | |
conjugate
|
means the complex conjugate of z. (z* can also be used for the conjugate of z, as described above.) |
. | ||
algebraic closure
algebraic closure of
field theory
|
is the algebraic closure of the field F. | The field of algebraic numbers is sometimes denoted as because it is the algebraic closure of the rational numbers . | ||
topological closure
(topological) closure of
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is the topological closure of the set S. This may also be denoted as cl(S) or Cl(S). |
In the space of the real numbers, (the rational numbers are dense in the real numbers). |
Occasionally, variant forms of mathematical symbols are used. In mathematics written in Arabic, some symbols may be reversed to make right-to-left reading easier. [11]
Some Unicode charts of mathematical operators:
Some Unicode cross-references: