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Mathematical Symbols
List of all mathematical symbols and signs - meaning and examples.
Symbol
Name
Meaning / definition
Example
equals sign
equality
5 = 2+3
not equal
sign
inequality
54
>
strict
inequality
greater than
5>4
<
strict
inequality
less than
4<5
inequality
54
inequality
45
()
parentheses
2 (3+5) = 16
[]
brackets
[(1+2)*(1+5)] = 18
plus sign
addition
1+1=2
minus sign
subtraction
21=1
plus - minus
3 5 = 8 and -2
minus - plus
3 5 = -2 and 8
Page 2 of 17
asterisk
multiplication
2*3=6
times sign
multiplication
23=6
multiplication
multiplication
dot
23=6
division
division
sign / obelus
62=3
division
slash
division
6/2=3
horizontal
line
division / fraction
mod
modulo
remainder calculation
7 mod 2 = 1
period
2.56 = 2+56/100
ab
power
exponent
23 = 8
a^b
caret
exponent
2 ^ 3= 8
square root
a a = a
9 = 3
cube root
fourth root
n-th root
(radical)
percent
1% = 1/100
10% 30 = 3
per-mille
1 = 1/1000 = 0.1%
10 30 = 0.3
ppm
per-million
1ppm = 1/1000000
10ppm 30 = 0.0003
ppb
per-billion
1ppb = 1/1000000000
10ppb 30 = 310-7
ppt
per-trillion
1ppt = 10-12
10ppt 30 = 310-10
a 3a 3a = a
8 = 2
a 4a 4a 4a = a
16 = 2
for n=3, n8 = 2
Geometry symbols
Symbol
Symbol Name
angle
measured angle
Meaning / definition
formed by two rays
Example
ABC = 30
ABC = 30
Page 3 of 17
AOB = 30
spherical angle
right angle
= 90
= 90
degree
1 turn = 360
= 60
arcminute
1 = 60
= 6059'
arcsecond
1 = 60
= 6059'59''
line
infinite line
line segment
ray
arc
perpendicular
AC |BC
||
parallel
parallel lines
AB || CD
congruent to
ABC XYZ
similarity
ABC ~ XYZ
triangle
triangle shape
ABC BCD
|x-y|
distance
| x-y | = 5
AB
= 60
= 3.141592654...
pi constant
c = d = 2r
diameter of a circle
rad
radians
360 = 2 rad
grad
grads
Algebra symbols
Symbol
Symbol Name
Meaning / definition
x variable
equivalence
identical to
Example
when 2x = 4, then x = 2
Page 4 of 17
:=
approximately
equal
weak approximation
11 ~ 10
approximately
equal
approximation
sin(0.01) 0.01
proportional to
proportional to
f(x) g(x)
lemniscate
infinity symbol
()
parentheses
2 * (3+5) = 16
[]
brackets
[(1+2)*(1+5)] = 18
{}
braces
set
floor brackets
4.34
ceiling brackets
4.35
x!
exclamation mark
factorial
4! = 1*2*3*4 = 24
|x|
absolute value
| -5 | = 5
f (x)
function of x
f (x) = 3x+5
(f g)
function
composition
(f g) (x) = f (g(x))
(a,b)
open interval
x (2,6)
[a,b]
closed interval
[a,b] = {x | a x b}
x [2,6]
delta
change / difference
t = t1 - t0
discriminant
= b2 - 4ac
sigma
sigma
double summation
1 1000000
1000000 1
xi= x1+x2+...+xn
Page 5 of 17
capital pi
xi=x1x2...xn
e constant /
Euler's number
e = 2.718281828...
e = lim (1+1/x)x , x
Euler-Mascheroni
constant
= 0.527721566...
golden ratio
= 3.141592654...
pi constant
c = d = 2r
circle
Symbol Name
Meaning / definition
Example
dot
scalar product
ab
cross
vector product
ab
tensor product
tensor product of A
and B
AB
AB
inner product
[]
brackets
matrix of numbers
()
parentheses
matrix of numbers
|A|
determinant
determinant of matrix
A
det(A)
determinant
determinant of matrix
A
norm
AT
transpose
matrix transpose
(AT)ij = (A)ji
Hermitian matrix
matrix conjugate
transpose
(A)ij = (A)ji
A*
Hermitian matrix
matrix conjugate
transpose
(A*)ij = (A)ji
A -1
inverse matrix
A A-1 = I
matrix rank
rank of matrix A
|| x ||
rank(A)
rank(A) = 3
Page 6 of 17
dim(U)
dimension
Symbol Name
Meaning / definition
Example
probability
function
probability of event A
P(A) = 0.5
P(A B)
probability of
events
intersection
probability that of
events A and B
P(AB) = 0.5
P(A B)
probability of
events union
probability that of
events A or B
P(AB) = 0.5
conditional
probability
function
probability of event A
given event B occured
P(A | B) = 0.3
f (x)
probability
density function
(pdf)
P(a x b) = f (x)
dx
F(x)
cumulative
distribution
function (cdf)
F(x) = P(X x)
population mean
mean of population
values
= 10
E(X)
expectation value
expected value of
random variable X
E(X) = 10
conditional
expectation
expected value of
random variable X
given Y
E(X | Y=2) = 5
var(X)
variance
variance of random
variable X
var(X) = 4
variance
variance of population
values
2 = 4
std(X)
standard
deviation
standard deviation of
random variable X
std(X) = 2
standard
deviation
standard deviation
value of random
variable X
X = 2
median
cov(X,Y)
covariance
covariance of random
variables X and Y
cov(X,Y) = 4
corr(X,Y)
correlation
correlation of random
variables X and Y
corr(X,Y) = 0.6
P(A)
P(A | B)
E(X | Y)
Page 7 of 17
X,Y
correlation
correlation of random
variables X and Y
summation
double
summation
double summation
Mo
mode
MR
mid-range
MR = (xmax+xmin)/2
Md
sample median
Q1
lower / first
quartile
Q2
median / second
quartile
Q3
upper / third
quartile
sample mean
average / arithmetic
mean
x = (2+5+9) / 3 = 5.333
s2
sample variance
population samples
variance estimator
s2 = 4
sample standard
deviation
population samples
standard deviation
estimator
s=2
zx
standard score
zx = (x-x) / sx
X~
distribution of X
distribution of random
variable X
X ~ N(0,3)
N(,2)
normal
distribution
gaussian distribution
X ~ N(0,3)
U(a,b)
uniform
distribution
equal probability in
range a,b
X ~ U(0,3)
exp()
exponential
distribution
f (x) = e-x , x0
gamma
f (x) = c xc-1e-x /
(c), x0
gamma(c, ) distribution
X,Y = 0.6
Page 8 of 17
f (x) = xk/2-1e-x/2 /
chi-square
distribution
(k)
2
( 2k/2 (k/2) )
F (k1, k2)
F distribution
Bin(n,p)
binomial
distribution
Poisson()
Poisson
distribution
f (k) = ke- / k!
Geom(p)
geometric
distribution
f (k) = p (1-p) k
HG(N,K,n)
hyper-geometric
distribution
Bernoulli
distribution
Bern(p)
Combinatorics Symbols
Symbol
Name
Symbol
n!
nPk
Meaning / definition
n! = 123...n
factorial
Example
5! = 12345 = 120
permutation
5P3
= 5! / (5-3)! = 60
combination
5C3
= 5!/[3!(5-3)!]=10
nCk
Symbol Name
Meaning / definition
Example
set
a collection of elements
A = {3,7,9,14},
B = {9,14,28}
AB
intersection
A B = {9,14}
AB
union
A B = {3,7,9,14,28}
AB
subset
AB
proper subset /
strict subset
{}
Page 9 of 17
AB
not subset
{9,66} {9,14,28}
AB
superset
{9,14,28} {9,14,28}
AB
proper superset /
strict superset
{9,14,28} {9,14}
AB
not superset
{9,14,28} {9,66}
power set
all subsets of A
power set
all subsets of A
equality
Ac
complement
A\B
relative
complement
A = {3,9,14},
B = {1,2,3},
A-B = {9,14}
A-B
relative
complement
A = {3,9,14},
B = {1,2,3},
A-B = {9,14}
AB
symmetric
difference
A = {3,9,14},
B = {1,2,3},
A B = {1,2,9,14}
AB
symmetric
difference
A = {3,9,14},
B = {1,2,3},
A B = {1,2,9,14}
aA
element of
set membership
A={3,9,14}, 3 A
xA
not element of
no set membership
A={3,9,14}, 1 A
(a,b)
ordered pair
collection of 2 elements
AB
cartesian product
|A|
cardinality
A={3,9,14}, |A|=3
#A
cardinality
A={3,9,14}, #A=3
2A
A=B
A={3,9,14},
B={3,9,14},
A=B
Page 10 of 17
aleph-null
infinite cardinality of
natural numbers set
aleph-one
cardinality of countable
ordinal numbers set
empty set
={}
universal set
C = {}
natural numbers /
whole numbers
set (with zero)
= {0,1,2,3,4,...}
natural numbers /
whole numbers
set (without zero)
= {1,2,3,4,5,...}
integer numbers
set
= {...-3,-2,1,0,1,2,3,...}
-6
rational numbers
set
= {x | x=a/b, a,b
}
= {x | - < x <}
complex
numbers set
2/6
6.343434
6+2i
Logic symbols
Symbol
Symbol Name
Meaning / definition
Example
and
and
xy
caret / circumflex
and
x^y
&
ampersand
and
x&y
plus
or
x+y
reversed caret
or
xy
vertical line
or
x|y
x'
single quote
not - negation
x'
bar
not - negation
not
not - negation
Page 11 of 17
exclamation mark
not - negation
!x
exclusive or - xor
xy
tilde
negation
~x
implies
equivalent
for all
there exists
therefore
because / since
if and only if
Symbol Name
Meaning / definition
Example
limit
epsilon
e constant / Euler's
number
e = 2.718281828...
e = lim (1+1/x)x ,
x
y'
derivative
(3x3)' = 9x2
y ''
second derivative
derivative of derivative
(3x3)'' = 18x
y(n)
nth derivative
n times derivation
(3x3)(3) = 18
derivative
d(3x3)/dx = 9x2
second derivative
derivative of derivative
d2(3x3)/dx2 = 18x
nth derivative
n times derivation
Page 12 of 17
time derivative
time second
derivative
derivative of derivative
(x2+y2)/x = 2x
partial derivative
integral
opposite to derivation
double integral
integration of function of 2
variables
triple integral
integration of function of 3
variables
closed surface
integral
closed volume
integral
[a,b]
closed interval
[a,b] = {x | a x b}
(a,b)
open interval
imaginary unit
i -1
z = 3 + 2i
z*
complex conjugate
z = a+bi z*=a-bi
z* = 3 + 2i
complex conjugate
z = a+bi z = a-bi
z = 3 + 2i
nabla / del
f (x,y,z)
vector
unit vector
x*y
convolution
Laplace transform
F(s) =
Fourier transform
X() =
delta function
lemniscate
{f (t)}
{f (t)}
infinity symbol
Page 13 of 17
Numeral symbols
Name
European
Roman
Hindu Arabic
Hebrew
zero
one
two
II
three
III
four
IV
five
six
VI
seven
VII
eight
VIII
nine
IX
ten
10
eleven
11
XI
twelve
12
XII
thirteen
13
XIII
fourteen
14
XIV
fifteen
15
XV
sixteen
16
XVI
seventeen
17
XVII
eighteen
18
XVIII
nineteen
19
XIX
twenty
20
XX
thirty
30
XXX
fourty
40
XL
fifty
50
sixty
60
LX
seventy
70
LXX
eighty
80
LXXX
Page 14 of 17
ninety
90
XC
one hundred
100
English Equivalent
Pronunciation
Upper Case
Lower Case
Alpha
al-fa
Beta
be-ta
Gamma
ga-ma
Delta
del-ta
Epsilon
ep-si-lon
Zeta
ze-ta
Eta
eh-ta
Theta
th
te-ta
Iota
io-ta
Kappa
ka-pa
Lambda
lam-da
Mu
m-yoo
Nu
noo
Xi
x-ee
Omicron
o-mee-c-ron
Pi
pa-yee
Rho
row
Sigma
sig-ma
Tau
ta-oo
Page 15 of 17
Upsilon
oo-psi-lon
Phi
ph
f-ee
Chi
ch
kh-ee
Psi
ps
p-see
Omega
o-me-ga
Roman numerals
Number
Roman numeral
not defined
II
III
IV
VI
VII
VIII
IX
10
11
XI
12
XII
13
XIII
14
XIV
15
XV
16
XVI
17
XVII
18
XVIII
19
XIX
20
XX
Page 16 of 17
30
XXX
40
XL
50
60
LX
70
LXX
80
LXXX
90
XC
100
200
CC
300
CCC
400
CD
500
600
DC
700
DCC
800
DCCC
900
CM
1000
5000
10000
50000
100000
500000
1000000
See also
Algebra symbols
Geometry symbols
Statistical symbols
Logic symbols
Set theory symbols
Calculus & analysis symbols