This tag is for questions about the usage and meaning of mathematical terminology and the names for mathematical entities in English.
1
vote
3answers
892 views
Is it correct to say “times” in this context?
Consider the following:
Math teacher: "How can we turn 42 into 420 through multiplication?"
Student: "You times it by ten!"
Is this usage of times correct? I hear it so often that I suspect ...
1
vote
2answers
158 views
Is “underlying” the right word?
I am describing a mathematical model, where the probability density function of a variable is made up of two contributions, two distributions. Mathematically we would say that f(x) = g1(x) + g2(x).
...
2
votes
4answers
192 views
posteriori and posterior
What are the differences in meaning and usage between posteriori and posterior?
Particularly in probability, statistics and logic, when should I use which?
For example, why are "max a posteriori" ...
21
votes
1answer
994 views
What's the name of this letter? [closed]
I came upon this letter when reading a book, I couldn't find its name on the internet, you can imagine how hard it is to search about it.
What is the name of the letter that follows "sample space"?
...
2
votes
2answers
713 views
Word for a piece of a pie chart? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How to name a part of a piechart
What is the correct name for a shape which is like a triangle but with one edge circular, like a slice of cake?
4
votes
3answers
239 views
Why is the common meaning of logical terms ('and', 'or') incongruous from that in math?
If someone wrote that they want "nuts and bolts", they would get a bunch of hardware they could attach things with. If this was software or math, they would only receive nothing, because things are ...
2
votes
3answers
245 views
“Iterate” and “iteration” as nouns
What are the differences between iterate and iteration as nouns?
I don't quite understand the definition of iterate as noun:
A quantity arrived at by iteration
For example, in computer ...
10
votes
3answers
1k views
What reasoning is behind the names of the trigonometric functions “sine”, “secant” and “tangent”?
The meanings of these words are very similar: the sine of an angle in a right triangle is the ratio of the opposite side to the hypotenuse; the secant is the ratio of the hypotenuse to the adjacent ...
2
votes
4answers
586 views
Another word for “fraction” that fits in conversation like “percent”? [closed]
In programming I use values between 0 and 1 to represent percentages but the word percent means "one part in every hundred" (0-100). I've also heard people use permil for 'one part in every thousand" ...
97
votes
12answers
6k views
What do you call a disk with a hole in the middle?
Compact Discs, washers and Aerobie frisbees are all disks with a hole in the middle. Is there a word (either mathematical or not) to describe this shape? I mean the specific case of a round hole in a ...
2
votes
4answers
200 views
Word to describe a mathematical variable that repeats, like an angle or time
In mathematics a variable can be said to be constrained if it must lie within certain bounds, for example:
0 < x < 1 (the variable x is constrained: it lies between zero and one)
However ...
3
votes
4answers
458 views
Origin of square and cube as verbs
Whence did the verbs 'square' and 'cube', in the sense (if there exist others) of 'to the second power' and 'to the third power' respectively, originate? There is some degree of similarity between the ...
2
votes
2answers
369 views
“Numerical Mathematics”
My friend is studying a subject called 'Numerical Mathematics and Computer Algorithms'. Surely mathematics is all about 'Numbers', so is ''Numerical Mathematics' a redundant statement?
Please excuse ...
20
votes
7answers
992 views
(k+1)th or (k+1)st?
Mathematicians commonly have to form ordinals from variables: you might look at the kth element of a sequence, for example. When the variable is a single letter, the ordinal is always formed with the ...
7
votes
7answers
884 views
How can I describe a “one or more” condition (one that has many options; a “non-boolean”)?
Generally speaking a boolean condition is understood to be an "either/or" relationship; for example, something is hot or cold.
What's do you call a "one or more" condition, e.g. something that can ...
6
votes
4answers
822 views
How to pronounce “nₒ” properly
People here (Hong Kong) like to pronounce n0 ("n subscript zero") as "N-nor"; "N-zero" seems to be acceptable. I am wondering what's the most popular pronunciation in English.
I am actually a little ...
17
votes
4answers
969 views
What is the term for an integer one larger than a given integer?
I'm looking for a concise term to say a number must be exactly one higher than a previous number.
None of "subsequent", "incremental", or "next" seem to convey the restriction that it must be ...
2
votes
3answers
158 views
2
votes
3answers
296 views
Percentage expression
Is it correct to say "15 percent less than 25"?
To me, it doesn't make 100% sense.
7
votes
4answers
429 views
Pronunciation of the big-O notation
How should I pronounce the following things? (These are complexities of algorithms.)
O(n)
O(n*log(n))
O(n^2)
4
votes
4answers
214 views
What can I call the two possible directions on a line (as a category)?
In English, a vector is said to have two properties: a length and a direction. The possible directions correspond to half-lines out of the origin (so that, eg, up and down are different directions). ...
17
votes
4answers
1k views
How is a' in mathematics pronounced?
It often happens that two or more similar values are distinguished with the ' symbol, e.g. a, a', a'' and similar. How is this pronounced?
1
vote
4answers
2k views
“Lower number” vs. “smaller number”
Is −9 a smaller number than −8?
And is −9 a lower number than −8?
What is the difference between lower and smaller here?
28
votes
6answers
11k views
Use of “I”, “we” and the passive voice in a scientific thesis [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Style Question: Use of “we” vs. “I” vs. passive voice in a dissertation
When the first person voice is used in scientific writing it is mostly ...
2
votes
4answers
250 views
Word for the relation between two different generalisations
I'm looking for a word for the relation between two concepts that are both different generalisations of the same concept. As an example, take the scalar product and cross product between vectors, from ...
12
votes
2answers
1k views
Where does the word “totient” come from?
In math we learn about the "totient function". It rhymes with "quotient" when math teachers pronounce it.
But I cannot find the definition or etymology of this word in any dictionary, nor on any ...
8
votes
2answers
598 views
What is the derivation of the statistical term “Histogram”?
There are conflicting definitions of origin. Unclear as to whether it is derived directly from the Greek, coined by Pearson, or used and named prior to Pearson.
Refer to "The History of Histograms - ...
11
votes
5answers
4k views
Does “either A or B ” preclude “both A and B”?
In mathematics, "A or B" includes "A and B".
Does "either" mean "A or B but not (A and B)" or does it include the possibility of "A and B"?
The context might be mathematics, formal logic or ordinary ...
14
votes
4answers
1k views
Is there a shorter term for “divided by” in American English?
Given the following expression:
5 (+-×÷%) 4
You would say "5 plus 4," "5 minus 4," "5 times 4," "5 divided by 4," and "5 mod(ulo) 4" respectively.
As far as I know, "divided by" does not have ...
1
vote
5answers
511 views
y with respect to t
In math, you say: velocity is the rate of change of position with respect to time.
I'm looking for a better, mathematically correct way to say that, without using the phrase with respect to and ...
4
votes
2answers
276 views
Etymology of “regression”
What is the etymology of "regression" as in finding the coefficients of polynomials?
14
votes
9answers
2k views
Why do we say “lowest common denominator” when we mean “greatest common divisor”?
For example, we could say HTML is the lowest common denominator on the web", because one can be sure all web browsers are able to render HTML (but not Flash or Java). If I want my web page to show ...
11
votes
5answers
3k views
Difference between “computation” and “calculation”
If the words computation and calculation are not perfect synonyms what is the difference between them? Which one describes more accurately what is done by a person computing or calculating something ...
45
votes
8answers
4k views
Is -1 singular or plural?
Do we say "-1 thing" or "-1 things"?
Edit: I am interested in both of these cases: "two things minus one thing(s)" and the quantity "minus/negative one thing(s)."
Bounty: While there are some good ...
9
votes
2answers
5k views
Should I use the singular or plural verb in mathematical formulae (“Two and two make/makes four”)?
I remember somebody correcting me once when I said, "Two and two makes four", since the conjunction and would imply the use of a plural verb. They would prefer I said:
Two and two make four.
...
3
votes
4answers
229 views
Use of the word “convergent”
This question is for people who know some mathematics.
Is it correct to say
The sequence is convergent to 0.
Normally we say: The sequence converges to 0.
8
votes
3answers
10k views
Are there any differences between “oval” and “ellipse”?
Are there any differences between "oval" and "ellipse"?
8
votes
5answers
790 views
Is there a word for a class of circular shapes?
I'm not sure if this belongs here, but I'm wondering if there is a word for a class of circular shapes?
Thinking about this hierarchically:
* Shape
* Polygon
* Square
* Rectangle
* ...
8
votes
4answers
1k views
How can I form a word like “quadruple” for any number I want?
I'm not sure what these are called, but how can I form a word like "quadruple" for any number I want? Like 5× as much is quintuple, what is 31× as much or 147× as much? I want to know how they are ...
18
votes
4answers
1k views
Transform or transformation?
Is there a difference between the words transform (noun) and transformation?
Let me describe my problem. I have a mathematical model which I can transform into a better model with help of a data ...
