Questions tagged [mathematics]
This tag is for questions on the usage and meaning of mathematical terminology and the names for mathematical entities in English.
259 questions
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3
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How powerful can articles become? Can saying "The X" mean that is definitely an X and there is also only exactly one X?
I'm a native English speaker but work all the time with English learners and from time to time I make bold assertions about the English language without actually being a scholar of the language. ...
- 147
0
votes
1
answer
138
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"X increased two times." — What can this mean?
my own sentence:
(1) X increased two times.
What meanings can (1) have?:
(1a) X that increased to two times is two X.
(1b) X that increased by two times is three X.
(1c) X increased twice.
- 6,416
0
votes
2
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506
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"rise 2%" VS "rise at 2%" VS "rise by 2%"
I thought we can say only "verb + by + number" but I came across "verb + at + number" and "verb + number".
I got interested in whether there is any difference between ...
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1
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Is it 1.7 times or 1.7 time? How about 0.7 time/times? Or something else?
There is a similar question asked about temperature here, but I'm asking more generally and without the convenience of the difference being a nice half.
If Alice has 10 grams of sugar and Bob has 17 ...
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8
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3
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Is it correct to say "Be m a number...", instead of "Let m be a number..." in math and elsewhere?
I know declaring things with 'be' is common in older texts. Is it grammatically sound using it in this context? It doesn't have to be in math, but that is where I saw it once and have been writing it ...
Abdullah Mustafa
-1
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1
answer
54
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English in Math, x y's
Suppose there are two variables, x and y. Now, I want to describe that "there are many y's, and the number of y is x." For example, a number=yy...y and its length is x. Is "there are x ...
- 59
4
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10
answers
3k
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How do you read this mathematical expression aloud?
could someone tell me how to read this mathematical expression aloud?
exp(√(cosx )+1-x^4)
I didn't take math in school so I would have no clue... I just need to be able to read it aloud.
Thank you ...
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-1
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1
answer
73
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What does "envelope" mean in mathematics in this context?
I stumbled upon this sentence:
Compared with the envelope [some mathematical formula] of the sinusoidal term, [some other mathematical formula] decays very fast, and the overall response is similar ...
- 219
2
votes
1
answer
120
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Why not "the space" in "R^1, R^2, R^3 are often called the line, the plane, and space, respectively."? ("Calculus on Manifolds" by Michael Spivak)
I am reading "Calculus on Manifolds" by Michael Spivak.
This book is a famous mathematics book.
In this book, the author wrote the following sentence:
R^1, R^2, R^3 are often called the ...
- 277
0
votes
1
answer
32
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Articles modifying nouns assigned mathematical symbol
In documents including mathematics, people often specify a quantity by putting the name and mathematical symbol of it, as follows:
Suppose that quantity A is positive;
Let variable X be ...
- 237
2
votes
2
answers
469
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Using "There exist/exists" with "and"
I think in the following sentence it is correct to use "there exists":
There exists a number and two distinct elements [...]
But then, is the following sentence correct and if it is, why?
...
- 161
0
votes
1
answer
51
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Why did the author write "at the point a of A" instead of "at a point a of A"?
I am reading a mathematics book ("Analysis on Manifolds" by James R. Munkres).
Theorem 8.3 (The inverse function theorem).
Let A be open in R^n; let f : A -> R^n be of class C^r. If Df(x)...
- 277
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1
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66
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Does "Show by insertion" make sense mathematically?
In math classes you might be given an equation like
2+x=5
and a valute like x=3. In my native Danish tongue I could now say one of the following:
Vis ved indsættelse, at x=3 er en løsning.
Vis ved ...
- 1,000
2
votes
2
answers
235
views
How should I interpret the phrase "f is applied to x" in function f(x) in math?
How should I interpret the phrase "f is applied to x" in function f(x) in math?
I found the expression:
f (x) (i.e. f applied to x)
inside the math book.
I only have the 3 definitions of &...
0
votes
3
answers
183
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Mirror image of/in/over/across a line
What is the correct preposition to use in a sentence that describes how a mirror image is reflected through something? This is for mathematical use, and I am in doubt about two scenarios, here shown ...
- 1,000
0
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3
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236
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What are these equations called in English?
I just wonder what these simple equations are called in English? Do they have professional names/terminologies in math?
equation 1: x = a + b - c
equation 2: x = a * b / c
The key is the sign, ...
- 654
7
votes
4
answers
3k
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Geometrically, "face" or "surface"?
In my native Danish language we can refer to a 2D side of a geometric object as flade. We can be more specific in case of the 2D side being exposed to the outside and say: overflade, a word that also ...
- 1,000
1
vote
2
answers
108
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"A is faster than B by 40%"
I am trying to understand how to compare speeds in English.
I have two types of devices that do the same thing. Their performances are measured in operations per second.
Let's say I have Device A that ...
- 968
1
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1
answer
58
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Complex plane "deprived from" or "deprived of" closed disk?
Which of the following phrases are correct?
Complex plane deprived of closed disk
or
Complex plane deprived from closed disk
- 135
2
votes
1
answer
316
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How to say expedite a process by two times
Let's assume that we have a process that takes 10 minutes to finish. Now, we come up with a new way that can do the process in 2 minutes. A few questions:
How can we say this sentence correctly: The ...
- 1,283
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2
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63
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How to explain this sentence?
What is the best sentence to use instead of the following sentence:
Fill up the output array, using the computed new value using -1 value from the calculation array as the index of the output array.
...
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0
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1
answer
52
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What does "which" mean in this sentence (math)?
For the positive integers a, b, c, and d, a is half of b, which is one-third of c. The value of d is three times the value of c.
Does this mean that a=b/2, and a=c/3, or does this mean that a=b/2, ...
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2
votes
1
answer
350
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How to pronounce "-1"
A mathematical expression like
1-2
is pronounced one minus two. "Minus" here refers to the mathematical arithmetic operation of subtraction. The following expression
-1-2
seems sometimes ...
- 1,000
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2
answers
1k
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In maths, should I write "at a point" or "in a point"
In another question I posted this evening, a comment indicated that my use of "a/in" is wrong. Consider the following two sentences that could appear in a mathematics test:
Compute the ...
- 1,000
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votes
2
answers
220
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"In the point (1,2)" or "In point (1,2)"?
In questions from a mathematics test, what is the correct phrasing of the following sentence?
Compute the function value in the point (x,y)=(1,2).
Compute the function value in point (x,y)=(1,2).
We ...
- 1,000
-2
votes
1
answer
43
views
How to properly define what I want to say? [closed]
I'm struggling to write a concise definition of beauty(n)
Suppose we have a number consisting of an even number of digits like 12, 1234, 123456.
Examples:
beauty(1234) = 12 + 34 = 46.
beauty(123456) = ...
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0
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52
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Expressions of multiplication
Five times three equals 15.
Five multiplied by three equals 15.
As I know, multiplication is an operation that consists of calculating the result of adding up the multiplicand as many times as ...
- 1,913
0
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1
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99
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"Lebesgue measure" or "the Lebesgue measure" - omitting the definite article or not?
I noticed that many people sometimes omit the definite article before "Lebesgue measure". Some examples: "suppose that m is Lebesgue measure on R, "we will construct Lebesgue ...
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0
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3
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167
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Qutation marks in American English for emphasis and bracketing: single or double? [closed]
Suppose you write a mathematical text in American English that quotes from various sources (other literature and itself) and emphasizes and brackets stuff. You've already used up your font gimmicks (...
user142975
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vote
2
answers
271
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Imperative: how to distinguish independent clauses and a compound predicate?
Consider the following imperative-sentence structure
Do 𝑋 and do 𝑌.
(Source: https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/data/faq/topics/Commas/faq0067.html ) where I believe (but do not know this ...
user142975
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votes
4
answers
3k
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“Let for each 𝑗” vs. “For each 𝑗 let”
I wrote
Let for each 𝑗 < 𝑛 a permutation ℎ𝑗 : 𝐿 ↪ 𝐿 be given.
A proofreader (whom I can no longer ask) changed it to
For each 𝑗 < 𝑛, let a permutation ℎ𝑗 : 𝐿 ↪ 𝐿 be given.
This ...
user142975
1
vote
1
answer
70
views
Comma before “and” separating two nontrivial items?
Consider the sentence
The net simulates programs with at least 𝑓(𝑥) copies of each 𝑥 ⊆ 𝑆 with 𝜑(𝑥) (,) and exactly 𝑓(𝑥) copies of each 𝑥 ⊆ 𝑆 with 𝜓(𝑥).
The parens around the comma mean ...
user142975
1
vote
2
answers
132
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Comma before “and” separating two short independent math statements?
Consider a typical mathematical sentence defining two tuples: (s_i)_{i=1}^n and (t_i)_{i=1}^n:
Let (s_i)_{i=1}^n = X (,) and (t_i)_{i=1}^n = Y.
The parens around the comma mean that it's unclear ...
user142975
1
vote
2
answers
167
views
How to express a half of an axis?
In my paper, a half-line extending from coordinates (x,y) at an angle of Theta to the x-axis is called an HL; and an axis containing this HL is called a T-axis.
Hence, the HL is the same as the half ...
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2
answers
67
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If we let "a" be 2, and "x" be 1.4, we have the following [closed]
I want to know which of the following sentences sounds more natural and correct:
a + x = y
#1. If we let "a" be 2, and x be 1.4, we have the following: 2+1.4 = y
#2. If we let "a" ...
- 49
0
votes
1
answer
912
views
What is the correct phrase for solving mathematical problems?
While attempting and solving maths problems, do we "Do" those problems?
Is the usage "While doing algebra in high school" the correct phrase to convey that I have been taking a ...
0
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1
answer
31
views
"explanations on topics related to mathematics" or "explanations of topics related to mathematics"
Which sentence is the most appropriate ?
#1 - Short explanations on topics related to mathematics
#2 - Short explanations of topics related to mathematics
#3 - Short explanations on topics related ...
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1
vote
1
answer
122
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""a" and "b" depict the y-coordinate of each end point respectively of the curved line."
I am writing something about cubic interpolation.
An end point is a 2d point with coordinates (x,y). A curved line only has two end points, the starting point and the ending point.
Which of these ...
- 49
0
votes
1
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356
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a number's whole part and fraction part's name in English
I'm not sure if I need to ask this in the math site or here. I'm actually a developer and I searched many websites to find out what the whole and fraction part of a number is called in English (naming ...
0
votes
4
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193
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How to verbally express this mathematical formula? [closed]
I am going to deliver a tutorial. However, I am not sure how to express some formulae verbally in a correct way. Could you please help me?
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2
votes
1
answer
90
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definite or indefinite article for new term that described in other paper?
When we present a term for the first time with reference to another article, should we use definite or indefinite article? (without reference, we should use indefinite article)
Example (The Hilbert's ...
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0
votes
1
answer
71
views
The meaning of unless in sentence [closed]
While reading a book I encountered a sentence
For a nonzero integer n, there is an even number of positive divisors of n unless n is a perfect square
What does it mean by unless n is a perfect ...
- 13
0
votes
1
answer
40
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Is the noun phrase 'side lengths to the nearest tenth' grammatically correct?
Here is a sentence extracted from the entire question sentences, one from this exercise page on Khan Academy.
The following figure shows △ABC with side lengths to the nearest tenth.
I thought the ...
- 1,048
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2
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182
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How do I express a line in math?
I want to express the above red line in a formal English.
A line in the theta direction from (x0,y0).
Is the above expression correct?
- 487
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votes
8
answers
4k
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Is "100% correct pronunciation" an understandable, correct, and proper English expression?
If I put "100% correct pronunciation" in the following sentence, is it understandable and correct? "100%" is what I would like to emphasize. If it is not right, how should it be ...
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28
votes
5
answers
7k
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Why don't we use articles for variables in math problems?
Why do we write:
solve for x
and not
solve for an/the x
or
Where t represents the number of tickets
and not
Where the t represents the number of tickets
- 387
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1
answer
99
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How do you pronounce two variable values listed one on top of the other? [closed]
Long story short I need to figure out how to verbalize this equation:
- 3
1
vote
1
answer
226
views
value of variables "is" or "are" same
We have x=12 and y=12 .
How should we write:
The value of x and y are same and equal
or
The value of x and y is same and equal
- 419
-1
votes
1
answer
82
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Is ‘half half’ ambiguous?
50-50
Ex) There are half half milk and water. = there are 50:50 milk and water.
1/4
Ex) There is half half water. = there is 1/4 water.
Is it right?
user138324
0
votes
2
answers
86
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Plurality of fraction that has an assigned mathematical symbol
I am aware of the general rule that the plurality of a fraction matches the plurality of the thing it modifies, as in “a fraction of investors are informed.”
Does this change when I assign a ...
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