Questions tagged [pronunciation]
Questions on the pronunciation of mathematical terms and notation.
2
votes
1answer
71 views
How to pronounce $\Sigma_1$?
I have to give a presentation and part of it involves talking about the recursively enumerable sets. However, some of the theorems I am quoting (like Rosser's proof of Godel's first incompleteness ...
2
votes
1answer
51 views
How do you pronounce $\check{n}$?
I did search the internet but could not find a source mentioning the pronunciation of the mathematical symbol $\mathbf{\check{}}$ as in $\check{n}$. How do you pronounce it?
-2
votes
4answers
811 views
How to communicate $\frac{5}{2}$ to other people orally? [closed]
The term one third is unambiguously understood as $\frac 13$. Likewise, the term two fifths is unambiguously understood as $\frac 25$ and three sixths is understood as $\frac 36$.
But what exactly ...
7
votes
3answers
748 views
What is the generally accepted pronunciation of “topoi”?
Apologies if this annoys proponents of “toposes “.
It appears to me that there are three main candidates for pronunciation, all focusing on the last syllable:
Top-oy (rhyming with “toy” in British ...
0
votes
2answers
57 views
How to verbalise ':' in a definition?
When I write a definition, e.g.
Let $f : \mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R}$
How does one pronounce the colon ':' symbol?
I would naively guess 'Let f be-a-function-mapping from the reals to the ...
2
votes
1answer
63 views
How to read the expression of an affine connection: $\nabla_X Y$?
I am studying Riemannian Geometry from the textbook Riemannian Geometry by do Carmo (English edition). In section 2 of chapter 2, page 50, he defines an affine connection as follows:
2.1 Definition....
0
votes
0answers
51 views
The correct spelling of the space $L^4$
Good morning everybody,
It is well-known that the space of $L^{2}$ function is called: "the space of square integrable functions"
What about the space of $L^{4}$ functions? can we say "the space of ...
4
votes
1answer
82 views
How to pronounce “equicontinuous”?
I couldn't find the word equicontinuous in the dictionary, so I hope this is the right place to ask. The definition can be found in the wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equicontinuity
If I ...
2
votes
1answer
65 views
How to pronounce this notation
Reading this paper : https://arxiv.org/pdf/1608.04644.pdf
the following term :
$$L_\infty$$
is referenced in the context of :
How is $L_\infty$ pronounced ? Is it just "L infinity" ?
0
votes
1answer
66 views
How to pronounce of $0^+$ and $0^-$?
I'm not an English native speaker and I don't know how to pronounce $0^+$ and $0^-$.
Could you help me, please?
I'm referring to the symbols that appear for example in the limits
$lim_{x\to 0^+}f(x)...
0
votes
0answers
431 views
How do you pronounce $\frac{dy}{dx}$?
Just out of curiosity...
I always say "dee-why dee-ex"
Some people say "dee-why by dee-ex" (especially many of my maths lecturers)
Others say "dee-why on/over dee-ex"
I've noticed that most of my ...
1
vote
1answer
222 views
How to pronounce $\mathcal{E}$?
How to say $\mathcal{E}$ when we are speaking about mathematics? Can I call it "curly E"?
And also how to pronounce $\mathcal{A}$ and $\mathcal{B}$ and $\mathcal{P}$ and so on?
0
votes
1answer
51 views
Need help with notation - Supremum
I'm reading a paper, 'Invariant Scattering Convolution Networks'. Equation 2, page 2 reads as follows;
I'm not familiar with the $\underset{u}{sup}$ notation - does this refer to the support of the ...
2
votes
0answers
60 views
Pronunciation of $\in$-minimal
How do I pronounce $\in$-minimal? I need to know it to see whether I should write "$X$ has a $\in$-minimal element" or "$X$ has an $\in$-minimal element".
1
vote
1answer
3k views
How to pronounce “L'Hospital”? [closed]
How to pronounce "L'Hospital"? Some people pronounce like "lapital". When I was in 12th standard, some teachers used to pronounce "lapital" and some used to pronounce "L hospital".
0
votes
1answer
85 views
How to read $\textbf{A}^{op}$ in category theory?
Simple question, how does one pronounce the name of the category $\textbf{A}^{op}$, defined as the dual of the category $\textbf{A}$?
Reading it, I want to say $\textit{ay-opp}$ /e$ɪ$-$ɑ$p/.
24
votes
17answers
6k views
How is $\ln$ pronounced by English speakers?
I have always heard an expression like $\ln (x^2)$ pronounced aloud as "ell-enn ex squared". That is, the name of the function $\ln$ is read aloud as a two-letter abbreviation. However, I recently ...
0
votes
1answer
251 views
Pronunciation of Limacon
I have a presentation on common polar graphs.
one of them is the graph of $b+a\cos{\theta}$, or a limacon.
however, i'm not sure as to whether it's pronounced
-lih-muh-son
-lih-muh-con
-lie-ma-...
0
votes
1answer
50 views
Pronunciation of variable with subindex
This question is about pronunciation of variables with a subindex such as $P_i$.
In this Stanford video lecture on statistical mechanics $P_i$ is pronounced "
Pees of i" and $E_i$ is pronounced "Ees ...
0
votes
2answers
102 views
How to pronounce $\circledcirc$ (an infinitesimal)?
I'm reading a paper in which $\circledcirc$ is used to mean an infinitesimal (from nonstandard analysis). So, for example, you would have $0<\circledcirc^2<\circledcirc$.
I'm wondering how to ...
0
votes
1answer
84 views
$\operatorname{Spec}(A)$ is called “the (prime) spectrum of $A$”. What is $\operatorname{Proj}(A)$ called?
Modern algebraic geometry makes heavy use of two constructions that turn rings into schemes: Spec and Proj. The first construction turns a commutative ring $A$ into a scheme $\operatorname{Spec}(A)$, ...
3
votes
1answer
273 views
How to say (pronounce) $\partial$ in the context of homology?
I am curious what is the common way to say (in English contexts) the name of $\partial$ (the boundary homomorphism) in homology theory. I.e. when giving a talk / speaking.
The boundary homomorphism ...
4
votes
1answer
220 views
Correct pronunciation of $\in$.
I was curious whether there is a standard reference for the correct English pronunciation of general mathematical symbols. In particular, I am wondering how to pronounce the symbol "$\in$" correctly, ...
7
votes
4answers
357 views
How to say $\sin^2(x)$ in English
What's the official way to say $\sin^2(x)$? Is it "sin squared of $x$" or "sin of x, pause, squared"?
1
vote
0answers
82 views
How do you pronounce the expression $(i|i)$?
I'm writing a library for translating latex into readable speech, and usually I rely on Larry's speakeasy to let me know how to read an equation.
Seeing as I could not find an answer for the ...
2
votes
1answer
41 views
proper way to say this theorem out loud
how do you say this theorem? My attempt:
Let S be a Topological space, and let T-naught and the sets indexed by w be connected subsets of S. Assume T-naught and the sets indexed by w are not disjoint ...
1
vote
1answer
74 views
How to read partial ordering in a set?
Let $X$ be a partially ordered set with partial order $\preceq$. Then how can we read $x\preceq y$. Is it $x$ less than or equal l to $y$.?
13
votes
2answers
1k views
How to pronounce “$ a:b=c:d$” in English?
I just realized that I have never used something as simple as proportions in spoken English so far, but today I have to. So simple question for native speakers: How do you pronounce for example
$$ a:b=...
4
votes
2answers
120 views
Pronunciation of Indexed Collection of Sets
I'm currently learning about sets and I want to discuss the material. However, I'm unsure of the pronunciation of certain symbols.
For instance, I know that
(1) $A\cup B$ is read, "A union B."
(...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
Pronunciation of Permutation/Combination Notation and Ordered Pairs
Quick question: How am I supposed to pronounce (or read in my head) the following?
$P(n,k)$ or $C(n,k)$
Also, how am I supposed to pronounce (or read in my head) this?
$K \times M = \{(x,y): x\...
4
votes
0answers
173 views
How does one read $\bar{A}$ aloud in Russian?
In English, I would generally read the mathematical notation $\bar{A}$ as "a bar" or "big a bar." What would this be in Russian?
I looked in Glazunova's Russian for Mathematicians, but couldn't find ...
1
vote
1answer
434 views
Pronouncing the symbols $\oplus,\otimes,\rtimes,\cup$, and $\cap$. [closed]
I'm trying to figure out how to pronounce the symbols $\oplus,\otimes,\rtimes,\cup$, and $\cap$ when they're being used as binary operators in the contexts of direct sums, tensor products, semidirect ...
2
votes
2answers
483 views
How do you pronounce $\hat{n}$?
I've found a symbol $\hat{n}$ in an equation, and I have no idea how to pronounce it, and how to write it phonetic.
Edit:
I've found it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaternion#Exponential....
2
votes
1answer
117 views
How to read multiplication, division, and power?
please understanding my poor English.
I heard from some video lectures, $x^2$ is $x$ squared, and $x^3$ is $x$ cubed.
Could someone let me know how to read $x^n$?
$x$ to the n?
$x$ to the n power?
...
3
votes
0answers
227 views
Pronouncing the Greek Alphabet for use in Mathematics [closed]
I've noticed that sometimes when I am writing out equations and saying the symbols in my head I will slip up and say "p" for "$ \rho $" or mix the pronunciation between letters say "$ \eta $" for "$ \...
0
votes
1answer
57 views
How should I read formulas using multiple variables with the same name? [duplicate]
I am reading computer science texts, which tend to include a lot of summations and set logic. In set logic, formulas commonly use a capitalized variable to reference a whole set, i.e. $\Omega$, and a ...
3
votes
0answers
263 views
How do you pronounce $\Sigma^+$ or $\Sigma^\dagger$ (as used in Moore–Penrose pseudoinverse)?
I'm referring to the pronunciation of the $+$ and $\dagger$ notations.
Is it simply pronounced as ‘sigma plus’, or ‘pseudoinverse of sigma’, or ‘sigma pseudoinversed/pseudoinverted’?
Sometimes it is ...
3
votes
1answer
372 views
How to say math terms in English
I would like to know how to say in English the following objects:
the quotient $\mathbb R / \mathbb Z$ (is it "Ar over zee"? or "Ar modulo zee"?)
things like $[0,1]^n$ (is it "the n-th power of the ...
5
votes
2answers
524 views
Why is $\sinh$ often pronounced “shine”? [closed]
I talked to some guys from the UK and they told me that they would pronounce $\sinh$ as "shine". I am not a native English speaker so I don't know, but in my country we call this function "sintsh" ...
2
votes
3answers
3k views
How do you pronounce x' and x''? [closed]
I am giving a presentation tonight, and the mathematical terms x' and x'' feature heavily in it. I pronounce them as "x-dash" and "x-dash-dash", but this gets a bit tiresome by the end of the ...
0
votes
1answer
2k views
How to pronounce $\chi^2$? [closed]
When talking about the $\chi^2$-test or the $\chi^2$-distribution, my colleagues have different pronunciations of the letter $\chi$. How should it be pronounced?
I quickly found three different ways:
...
0
votes
3answers
472 views
How to pronounce “Sturm”? [closed]
The celebrated phrase "Sturm und Drang" is German. I know the pronunciation of the German noun "Sturm".
But, I would like to pronounce the French name "Sturm" of "Jacques Charles François Sturm".
3
votes
1answer
246 views
Do you decline a multiplier in reading a mathematical formula in Russian?
How do you read "Порядок определителя равен $2n$"? Is it "двум эн" or is it "два эн"?
And in a sum, do you read $c = a_5 + a_6$ as "це равно а пятому плюс а шестому"? Or does the plus sign interfere ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
How do we pronounce this symbol: $\nabla \phi$
I would like to know how to pronounce in English this symbol: $\nabla \phi$.
It is something phi ... ?
7
votes
1answer
662 views
How do you pronounce $\mathbb{R}^2, \dots, \mathbb{R}^n$ [closed]
I've been starting some vector calculus and I keep pronouncing it "R squared" in my head, which is clearly wrong. What is a better way to pronounce it, so that I can state things like $f: \mathbb{R} \...
4
votes
4answers
3k views
How is “Hessian” pronounced? [closed]
How do mathematicians pronounce "Hessian"?
From searching online I've learned that the term is named after Otto Hesse, a German, and that the German state of Hesse has lent its name to a boot. From ...
2
votes
4answers
2k views
how do you read: “$\lim (n-1)/(n-2) = 1$”
The limit of the fraction $(n-1)/(n-2)$ with $n$ approaching $+\infty$ is $1$. But how do you read that, concisely? (say during chalking the formula on a blackboard). Is it acceptable to say "lim", ...
3
votes
2answers
414 views
How to most efficiently verbalize symbol for the principal ideal generated by an element of a commutative ring with unity?
Let $R$ be a commutative ring with unity, let $a$ be an element of $R$, and let $$\langle a \rangle := \{ ra \mid r \in R \}. $$ Then $\langle a \rangle$ is an ideal in $R$, called the principal ideal ...
2
votes
1answer
201 views
How to verbalize $R[x]$? [closed]
Let $R$ be a ring, and let $x$ be an indeterminate. Let $R[x]$ denote the ring of polynomials in $x$ with co-efficients in $R$. How to most efficiently read (i.e. pronounce) the symbol $R[x]$ while ...
10
votes
2answers
378 views
How do you read “$a_n$” in English?
What is the correct way to read "$a_n$" in English? What is the translation of what in Spanish is "$a$ sub $n$"?
