MATHEMATICS IN OUR WORLD

What is mathematics?

Mathematics, developed by human mind and culture, is a formal system of thought for
recognizing, classifying, and exploiting patterns.

(Stewart, p. 1)

Where is mathematics?

• in every people’s daily task or activity

• in nature, arts, music, medicine, and other disciplines
• in communities
• IT IS EVERYWHERE

What is mathematics for?

• useful in making conclusions and/or predictions of the events of the world

• use to describe the natural order and occurrences of the universe
• use to organize patterns and regularities as well as irregularities
• help to control weather, epidemics
• provide tools for calculations
• provide new questions to think about

What is mathematics all about?

numbers, symbols, equations, operations, functions, calculations, abstractions, devising

proofs

How is mathematics done?

• with curiosity
• with a penchant for seeking patterns and generalities
• with the desire to know the truth
• with trial and error
• without fear of facing more questions and problems to solve

Who uses mathematics?

• mathematicians (pure and applied)

• scientists (natural and social)
• everyone
Why is mathematics important to know / learn?

• It puts order in disorder.

• It helps us become better persons.
• It helps make a world a better place to live in.

THE FIBONACCI SEQUENCE

The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers where a number is found by adding up

the two numbers before it. Starting with 0 and 1, the sequence goes 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21,
34, and so forth.

1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, …

Recurrence Relation Formula - recursively defines a sequence or multidimensional array

of values, once one or more initial terms are given: each further term of the sequence or array
is defined as a function of the preceding terms.

a1 = 1

a2 = 1

a n = a n −1 + a n − 2

Closed Form Formula - solves a given problem in terms of functions and mathematical
operations from a given generally-accepted set.

1  1 + 5  1 − 5  
n n

an =   −  
5  2   2  
  

MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE AND SYMBOLS

The Language of Mathematics

While we use our natural language to transmit our mathematical ideas, the language has
some undesirable features which are not acceptable in mathematics.

• Alice saw a man with a telescope.

• Two sisters were reunited after 10 years in the checkout line at King Soopers.
 To avoid such problems, the language used in mathematics is more restrictive than the
natural language of which it is a part.

Importance of Language

• To understand the expressed ideas

• To communicate ideas to others

Characteristics of the Mathematics Language

• Precise (able to make very fine distinctions or definitions)

• Concise (able to say things briefly)
• Powerful (able to express complex thoughts with relative ease)

The Grammar of Mathematics

Structural rules governing the use of symbols representing mathematical objects

Difficulties

• The word “is” could mean equality, inequality, or membership in a set

• Different use of a number (cardinal, ordinal, nominal, ratio)
• Mathematical objects may be represented in many ways such as sets and functions.
• The words “and” and “or” mean differently in mathematics from its English use.

Translate each sentence using mathematical symbols

1. 0 is an integer.

2. x is multiple of 5.

3. x belongs to both sets A and B.

4. The values of x range from -2 to 5.

5. The square of the sum of x and y is not more than 20.

6. The square of a number is nonnegative.

7. The sum of two consecutive numbers is 31.

Translate each of the following phrases into a mathematical expression. Use as few variables
as possible:

1. The sum of a number and 10

2. The product of two numbers
3. The product of -1 and a number
4. One-half times the sum of two numbers
5. Twice a number
6. Five less than a number
7. A number less 8
8. Six more than a number
9. A number decreased by 6
10. The square of a number
11. Four times the square of a number
12. Three less than twice a number
13. Five more than three times a number
14. One-half of a number
15. The square of the sum of 5 and a number
16. The sum of the squares of two numbers
17. There are twice as many boys as there are girls.
18. There are 10 more cars than jeeps.
19. A man’s age 10 years ago
20. The area of a rectangle whose length is 7 more than its width
21. Lota’s age in 5 years
22. A three-digit number whose hundreds digit is half the tens digit and the tens digit is 2
more than the units digit
23. The total interest earned after one year when P100 000 is invested, part at 6% annual
interest rate and the remaining part at 7.5% annual interest rate
24. The distance traveled by a man driving at the rate of 60 kph
25. The fraction of work done by a man who can finish a job in 2 hours
26. The age of a woman 15 years ago
27. The perimeter of a rectangle whose length is twice the width
28. The sum of three consecutive even integers
29. A three-digit number whose hundreds is twice the tens digit and the tens digit is 3 more
than the units digit
 30. The total peso value of 20 coins consisting of P5-coins and P10-coins

SETS

A set is a well defined collection of distinct objects called elements.

Ways of describing a set

1. Tabular or roster form is the method where the elements are separated by commas and
enclosed by braces.
2. Rule form or set-builder notation is the method which is done by stating or describing
the common elements of the set.
KINDS OF SETS
1. Equal Sets – sets having the same elements
2. Equivalent Sets – sets having the same number of elements
3. Finite Set – contains a certain number of elements
4. Infinite Set – a set that is not finite
5. Universal Set – set that contains all objects including itself
6. Empty Set/ Null Set – set having no element
7. Joint Sets – sets that have common elements
8. Disjoint Sets – sets which have no common elements

SET OPERATIONS
Given two sets A and B,
1. The union of A and B ( A  B) = {x | x  A or x  B}
2. The intersection of A and B ( A  B) = {x | x  A and x  B}
3. The relative complement of A with respect to B or the set theoretic-difference of B and A
B − A = x | x  B | x  A
4. The absolute complement of A, A' = x | x U | x  A
5. The Cartesian product A × B is the set of all ordered pairs (a, b) where a ∈ A and b ∈ B.

Give the set implied by each of the following.

a. A  A
b. A  A
c. AU
d. AU
e.  '
f. U '
 BASIC PROPERTIES AND THEOREMS ON REAL NUMBERS

A. EQUALITY AXIOMS
1. Reflexive Axiom
2. Symmetric Axiom
3. Transitive Axiom
4. Replacement Axiom

B. FIELD AXIOMS
1. Closure Axiom
2. Associative Axiom
3. Commutative Axiom
4. Distributive Axiom
5. Identity Axiom
6. Inverse Axiom

C. ORDER AXIOMS
1. Closure Axiom
2. Trichotomy Axiom
3. Transitive Axiom

D. COMPLETENESS AXIOM
Every nonempty set of real numbers that has an upper bound also has a least upper bound
(supremum)
RELATION

Let A and B be sets. A relation R from A to B is a subset of A  B . Given an ordered pair

(x, y ) in A  B , x is related to y by R, written in x R y if and only if (x, y ) is in R. the set
A is called the domain and the set B is called its co-domain.

The notation for a relation R may be written symbolically as follows:

x R y means that (x, y ) R

1. Let A = 1, 2 and B = 1, 2, 3 and define a relation R from A to B as follows:

x− y
Given any (x, y ) A  B, (x, y ) R means that is an integer.
2

State explicitly which ordered pairs are in A B and which are in R.

• Is 1R 3 ?
• Is 2R 3 ?
• Is 2 R 2 ?
• What are the domain and co-domain of R?

2. Let Y = 0, 1, 2 and Z = 0,1 and define a relation R from A to B as follows:

x+ y
Given any (x, y )Y  Z , (x, y ) R means that is an integer.
2

State explicitly which ordered pairs are in Y  Z and which are in R.

o Is 1 R 0 ?
2R 0 ?
o Is
o Is 2 R 1 ?
o What are the domain and co-domain of R?

3. Define a relation C from R to R as follows: For any (x, y )  , (x, y )C means that
x2 + y2 =1.
 • Is (1, 0)C ?
• Is (0, 0)C ?
 −1 3 
 , 
 2 2  C ?
• Is  

• Is − 2 C 0 ?
• Is 0 C(− 1) ?
• Is 1C1 ?
• What are the domain and co-domain of C?
• Draw a graph for C.

FUNCTIONS

A relation F from A to B is a function if and only if:

• Every element of A is the first element of the ordered pair of F.

• No two distinct ordered pairs in F have the same first element.

BINARY OPERATIONS

The word "binary" means composed of two pieces. A binary operation is simply a rule
for combining two values to create a new value. The most widely known binary operations
are those learned in elementary school: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division on
various sets of numbers.

It is possible to define "new" binary operations. Consider this example:

1. A new math binary operation, using the symbol  is defined to be a  b = 3a + b , where

a and b are real numbers.

• What is 8 Φ 3 ?
• Is a Φ b commutative?

Does a Φ b = b Φ a for all possible values?

3a + b = 3b + a ?

• Is a Φ b associative?

Does a Φ (b Φ c) = (a Φ b) Φ c ?
 a Φ (3b + c) = (3a + b) Φ c ?

3a + (3b + c) = 3(3a + b) + c

2. A binary operation  is defined on the set 1, 2, 3, 4. The table at the right shows the 16
possible answers using this operation. To read the table, read the first value from the left
hand column and the second value from the top row. The answer is the intersection point.

 1 2 3 4
1 4 3 2 1
2 3 1 4 2
3 2 4 1 3
4 1 2 3 4

• 24?
• Is  commutative?
• What is the identity element for the operation  ?
• Is  associative for these values? 4  (3  2) = (4  3) 2

3. What is 4  1?

a  b = 3a − 2b + ab

4. If a  b = a − b , find the values of a such that a  4 = 5 ?

2

5. If a  b = 2a + b and a  b = a − 2b , find (3  4)  5 .

LOGIC

• Allows us to determine the validity of arguments in and out of mathematics

• Illustrates the importance of precision and conciseness of the language of
mathematics

Proposition

• Must express a complete thought.

• A declarative sentence or statement that is either true or false but not both.

Determine whether proposition or not

• All multiples of 5 are odd numbers.

• 2. x is a real number.
 • Sketch the graph of f .

A simple statement is a statement that conveys a single idea. A compound statement is a

statement that conveys two or more ideas.

A logical connective is the mathematical equivalent of a conjunction - that is, a word (or
symbol)that joins two sentences to produce a new one.

The logical connectives are defined by truth tables (but have English language
counterparts).

Truth Value and Truth Tables

• The truth value of a simple statement is either true (T) or false (F).
• The truth value of a compound statement depends on the truth values of its simple
statements and its connectives.
• A truth table is a table that shows the truth value of a compound statement for all
possible truth values of its simple statements.

Conjunction PQ P and Q True if and only if P and Q are both

true.
Disjunction P Q P or Q True if and only if P is true or Q is
true or both are true.
Implication P →Q P implies Q True under all circumstances except
If P then Q when P is true and Q is false.
Q if P
Biconditional P Q P if and True if and only if P and Q are both
only if Q true or false.
Negation P Not P True if P is false, false if P is true.

Consider the following simple statements.

p : Today is Friday.

q : It is raining.

r : I am going to a movie.

s : I am not going to the basketball game.

Write the following statements in symbolic form.

• Today is Friday and it is raining.

• It is not raining and I am going to a movie.
 • I am going to the basketball game or I am going to a movie.
• If it is raining, then I am not going to the basketball game.
• Today is not Friday and I am going to a movie.
• I am going to the basketball game ad I am not going to a movie.
• I am going to the movie if ad only if it is raining.
• If today is Friday, then I am not going to a movie.

Consider the following statements.

p : The game will be played in Atlanta.

q : The game will be shown on CBS.

r : The game will not be shown on ESPN.

s : The Mets are favored to win.

Write each of the following symbolic statements in words.

a. q  p

b. ~ r  s

c. s  ~ p

Consider the following statements.

e All men are created equal.

t : I am trading places.

a : I get Abe's place.

g : I get George's place.

Write each of the following symbolic statements in words.

a. e  ~ t

b. a  ~ t

c. e→t

d. t  g

Let p , q and r represent the following.

p : You get a promotion.

q : You complete the training.

r : You will receive a bonus.

• Write ( p  q ) → r as an English sentence.

• Write "If you do not complete the training, then you will not get a promotion
and you will not receive a bonus." in symbolic form.

Let p , q and r represent the following.

p : Kesha's singing style is similar to Uffie.

q : Kesha has messy hair.

r : Kesha is a rapper.

• Write ( p  q ) → r as an English sentence.

• Write "If Kesha is not a rapper, then Kesha does not have messy hair and
Kesha's singing style is not similar to Uffie's.

In every item, indicate what statements P, Q, or R might stand for then express the item
using the correct symbols ( ∧, ∨, ⟹, ⟺, ¬ ) .
• If 𝑥 is an even number then it is a multiple of 2.
• 2 and -3 are rational zeroes of 𝑓.
• Triangle ABC is a right triangle if and only if 𝑐 2 = 𝑎2 + 𝑏 2 .
• 𝑥 is not equal to 10.
• If 𝑥 = 𝑦 then 𝑦 = 𝑥.
• If 𝑥 = 𝑦 and 𝑦 = 𝑧 then 𝑥 = 𝑧.
• The function 𝑓 is either an odd or an even function.
• The function 𝑓 is a rational function but its graph has no horizontal asymptote.
• Corresponding parts of congruent triangles are congruent.
• A quadratic equation has two distinct real roots, provided that the discriminant is
positive.
QUANTIFICATION

Universal Quantification

• "For all", "For every" or "For any"

• 
• x, x  1
• For every object x in the universe, x  1 .

Existential Quantification

• "There exists" or "For some"

• 
• x , x  1
• There exists an object x in the universe such that x  1 .

Write as English sentences and say whether they are true or false.
• ∀𝑋 ⊆ 𝑁, 𝑋 ⊆ 𝑅
• ∃𝑚, 𝑛 𝜖 𝑍, 𝑚 + 𝑛 = 0
• ∀𝑥 ∈ ℜ, 𝑥 2 > 0
• ∀𝑛 𝜖 𝑍, ∃𝑋 ⊆ 𝑁 𝑠. 𝑡. |𝑋| = 𝑛
• ∃𝑥, 𝑦 𝜖 𝑄, 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 < 9
• ∀𝑥 𝜖 𝑅, ∃𝑦 𝜖 𝑁, 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 = 1.
• ∃𝑥, 𝑦 𝜖 𝑍, 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 < 1
1
• ∀𝑥 𝜖 𝑄, ∃𝑦 𝜖 𝑁, 𝑦 = 𝑥
1
• ∃𝑥, 𝑦 𝜖 𝑍, 𝑥 − 𝑦 = 2
• ∀𝑥 ≥ 0, √𝑥 2 = 𝑥