Appendix A: mathematical notation

The tables below set out the notation that must be used by AS and A-level mathematics and further mathematics specifications. Students will be expected to understand this notation without need for further explanation.

Mathematics students will not be expected to understand notation that relates only to further mathematics content. Further mathematics students will be expected to understand all notation in the list.

For further mathematics, the notation for the core content is listed under sub headings indicating ‘further mathematics only’. In this subject, awarding organisations are required to include, in their specifications, content that is additional to the core content. They will therefore need to add to the notation list accordingly.

AS students will be expected to understand notation that relates to AS content, and will not be expected to understand notation that relates only to A-level content.

6.1 Set notation

1

Set notation

Meaning

1.1

is an element of

1.2

is not an element of

1.3

is a subset of

1.4

is a proper subset of

1.5

x1,x2,

the set with elements x1,x2,

1.6

x:

the set of all x such that …

1.7

n ( A )

the number of elements in set A

1.8

Ø

the empty set

1.9

ε

the universal set

1.10

A '

the complement of the set A

1.11

the set of natural numbers 1, 2, 3,

1.12

the set of integers 0,±1,±2,±3,

1.13

+

the set of positive integers 1,2,3,

1.14

0+

the set of non-negative integers {0, 1, 2, 3, …}

1.15

the set of real numbers

1.16

the set of rational numbers pq:p,q+

1.17

union

1.18

intersection

1.19

(x,y)

the ordered pair x,y

1.20

[a,b]

the closed interval x:axb

1.21

[a,b)

the interval x:ax<b

1.22

(a,b]

the interval x:a<xb

1.23

(a,b)

the open interval x:a<x<b

Set notation (Further Maths only)

1

Set notation

Meaning

1.24

the set of complex numbers

6.2 Miscellaneous symbols

2

Miscellaneous symbols

Meaning

2.1

=

is equal to

2.2

is not equal to

2.3

is identical to or is congruent to

2.4

is approximately equal to

2.5

infinity

2.6

is proportional to

2.7

therefore

2.8

because

2.9

<

is less than

2.10

, ≤

is less than or equal to, is not greater than

2.11

>

is greater than

2.12

, ≥

is greater than or equal to, is not less than

2.13

pq

p implies q (if p then q )

2.14

pq

p is implied by q (if q then p )

2.15

pq

p implies and is implied by q ( p is equivalent to q )

2.16

a

first term of an arithmetic or geometric sequence

2.17

l

last term of an arithmetic sequence

2.18

d

common difference of an arithmetic sequence

2.19

r

common ratio of a geometric sequence

2.20

Sn

sum to n terms of a sequence

2.21

S

sum to infinity of a sequence

Miscellaneous symbols (Further Maths only)

2

Miscellaneous symbols

Meaning

2.22 is isomorphic to

6.3 Operations

3

Operations

Meaning

3.1

a+b

a plus b

3.2

a-b

a minus b

3.3

a×b , ab , a.b

a multiplied by b

3.4

a÷b,ab

a divided by b

3.5

i=1nai

a1+a2++an

3.6

i=1nai

a1×a2××an

3.7

a

the non-negative square root of a

3.8

|a|

the modulus of a

3.9

n!

n factorial: n!=n×n-1××2×1,n;0!=1

3.10

nr , Crn , Crn

the binomial coefficient n!r!n-r!

for n , r 0+ , r n

or nn-1(n-r+1)r!

for n , r 0+

Operations (Further Maths only)

3

Operations

Meaning

3.11 a×nb multiplication modulo n of a by b
3.12 a+nb addition modulo n of a and b

3.13

G =(<n>,*)

n is the generator of a given group G under the operation *

6.4 Functions

4

Functions

Meaning

4.1

f(x)

the value of the function f at x

4.2

f:xy

the function f maps the element x to the element y

4.3

f-1

the inverse function of the function f

4.4

gf

the composite function of f and g which is defined by gfx=g(fx)

4.5

limxafx

the limit of f(x) as x tends to a

4.6

Δx,δx

an increment of x

4.7

dydx

the derivative of y with respect to x

4.8

dnydxn

the nth derivative of y with respect to x

4.9

f'x,f''x,,fn(x)

the first, second, ..., nth derivatives of f(x) with respect to x

4.10

ẋ,ẍ,

the first, second, ... derivatives of x with respect to t

4.11

ydx

the indefinite integral of y with respect to x

4.12

abydx

the definite integral of y with respect to x between the limits x=a and x=b

6.5 Exponential and logarithmic functions

5

Exponential and logarithmic functions

Meaning

5.1

e

base of natural logarithms

5.2

ex, expx

exponential function of x

5.3

logax

logarithm to the base a of x

5.4

lnx , logex

natural logarithm of x

6.6 Trigonometric functions

6

Trigonometric functions

Meaning

6.1

sin, cos, tan,

cosec, sec, cot

the trigonometric functions

6.2

sin-1,cos-1,tan-1

arcsin,arccos,arctan

the inverse trigonometric functions

6.3

°

degrees

6.4

rad

radians

Trigonometric functions (Further Maths only)

6

Trigonometric functions

Meaning

6.5

cosec-1,sec-1,cot-1 ,

arccosec,arcsec,arccot

the inverse trigonometric functions

6.6

sinh,cosh,tanh,

cosech,sech,coth

the hyperbolic functions

6.7

sinh-1,cosh-1,tanh-1

cosech-1,sech-1,coth-1

arcsinh,arccosh,arctanh,

arccosech,arcsech,arccoth

the inverse hyperbolic functions

6.7 Complex numbers (Further Maths only)

7

Complex numbers

Meaning

7.1

i , j

square root of -1

7.2

x+iy

complex number with real part x and imaginary part y

7.3

r(cosθ+isinθ)

modulus argument form of a complex number with modulus r and argument θ

7.4

z

a complex number, z=x+iy=r(cosθ+isinθ)

7.5

Re(z)

the real part of z , Rez=x

7.6

Im(z)

the imaginary part of z , Imz=y

7.7

|z|

the modulus of z , z=r=x2+y2

7.8

argz

the argument of z , argz=θ, -π<θπ

7.9

z *

the complex conjugate of z , x-iy

Matrices (Further Maths only)

8

Matrices

Meaning

8.1

M

a matrix M

8.2

0

zero matrix

8.3

<math><mi mathvariant="italic">I</mi></math>

identity matrix

8.4

M-1

the inverse of the matrix M

8.5

MT

the transpose of the matrix M

8.6

Δ, det M or M

the determinant of the square matrix M

8.7

Mr

image of column vector r under the transformation associated with the matrix M

6.9 Vectors

9

Vectors

Meaning

9.1

a , a̲ , a~

the vector a , a̲ , a~ ; these alternatives apply throughout section 9

9.2

AB

the vector represented in magnitude and direction by the directed line segment AB

9.3

â

a unit vector in the direction of a

9.4

i , j , k

unit vectors in the directions of the cartesian coordinate axes

9.5

a,a

the magnitude of a

9.6

|AB| , AB

the magnitude of AB

9.7

ab,ai+bj

column vector and corresponding unit vector notation

9.8

r

position vector

9.9

s

displacement vector

9.10

v

velocity vector

9.11

a

acceleration vector

Vectors (Further Maths only)

9

Vectors

Meaning

9.12

a.b

the scalar product of a and b

6.10 Differential equations (Further Maths only)

10

Differential equations

Meaning

10.1

ω

angular speed

6.11 Probability and statistics

11

Probability and statistics

Meaning

11.1

A,B,C etc.

events

11.2

AB

union of the events A and B

11.3

AB

intersection of the events A and B

11.4

P(A)

probability of the event A

11.5

A'

complement of the event A

11.6

P(A|B)

probability of the event A conditional on the event B

11.7

X,Y,R etc.

random variables

11.8

x,y,r etc.

values of the random variables X,Y,R etc.

11.9

x1,x2,

values of observations

11.10

f1,f2,

frequencies with which the observations x1,x2, occur

11.11

px,P(X=x)

probability function of the discrete random variable X

11.12

p1,p2,

probabilities of the values x1,x2, of the discrete random variable X

11.13

E(X)

expectation of the random variable X

11.14

Var(X)

variance of the random variable X

11.15

~

has the distribution

11.16

B(n,p)

binomial distribution with parameters n and p , where n is the number of trials and p is the probability of success in a trial

11.17

q

q=1-p for binomial distribution

11.18

N(μ,σ2)

Normal distribution with mean μ and variance σ2

11.19

Z~N(0,1)

standard Normal distribution

11.20

ϕ

probability density function of the standardised Normal variable with distribution N(0,1)

11.21

Φ

corresponding cumulative distribution function

11.22

μ

population mean

11.23

σ2

population variance

11.24

σ

population standard deviation

11.25

x̅

sample mean

11.26

s2

sample variance

11.27

s

sample standard deviation

11.28

H0

null hypothesis

11.29

H1

alternative hypothesis

11.30

r

product moment correlation coefficient for a sample

11.31

ρ

product moment correlation coefficient for a population

6.12 Mechanics

12

Mechanics

Meaning

12.1

kg

kilogram

12.2

m

metre

12.3

km

kilometre

12.4

m/s, ms-1

metre(s) per second (velocity)

12.5

m/s2 , ms-2

metre(s) per second per second (acceleration)

12.6

F

Force or resultant force

12.7

N

newton

12.8

Nm

newton metre (moment of a force)

12.9

t

time

12.10

s

displacement

12.11

u

initial velocity

12.12

v

velocity or final velocity

12.13

a

acceleration

12.14

g

acceleration due to gravity

12.15

μ

coefficient of friction