Mathematics Stack Exchange
Mathematics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [notation]

Questions on the meaning, history, and usage of mathematical symbols and notation. Please remember to mention where (book, paper, webpage, etc.) you encountered any mathematical notation you are asking about.

Before asking a question on the site, please check if you can find your answer in Earliest Uses of Various Mathematical Symbols or the book A History of Mathematical Notations.

Alternatively, a textbook or paper usually takes the time to explain the notation they're using; please remember to mention where you've seen the notation you are asking about.

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Notation for a Line Segment

I have a straight line segment joining two points ($i$ and $j$). I have a third point, $k$, that has a perpendicular distance to the line segment $\kappa_{\bot}$ (call this line segment of length $\kappa_{\bot}$ "*"). What exactly is the best…
apg
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How do I express the concept of the highest "place" of a number so that I could use it in further calculations as part of an expression

So if I had the number "123" (which would be the result of an expression of terms), I would get 100 since the highest place digit used is the hundreds place. I would also get 100 for 285 and for 999, etc. But for the number 20 I would get 10, or…
Robert
  • 123
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Notation for vectors that exclude zero

Is there a conventional notation for the set of all vectors of length $n$ such that not one element of the vector is equal to zero? Right now I have to write out something like "vector $B$ blah blah blah, where $B \not\in \left\{A =[a_1, a_2, a_3,…
user166916
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Writing down solutions notation

How do you write solutions to a simple equation in set notation? For example: - the solution to $x-4=0$ - the solutions to $x^2-x=0$? Thanks in advance.
user166403
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Mathematical notation of choosing randomly one element from a vector

What is the mathematical notation for choosing randomly one element from a vector length $n$? For example our vector is $[3, 4, 5]$.
newzad
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What does the colon use in the decimal place mean?

When I type into wolfram the query, exp(1) in base 100, the answer comes back "2.71:82:81...." What does the colon (:) mean?
steve
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7 answers

Any way to represent number that comes after repeating decimal?

Essentially, I am wondering if you can represent a repeating decimal and have a number. For example, perhaps 0.9 repeating with an 8 at the end, the largest decimal less than one (because 0.9 repeating is equal to one.) Logic would dictate that you…
Erisin
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Product of operators - what is the standard notation

Given $P_i$, $i=1,\ldots,n$ operators on a Hilbert space $H$. For $x \in H$, Does $\left( \prod_{i=1}^n P_i\right) (x)$ mean $$ \left(\prod_{i=1}^n P_i\right) (x) = P_1 \cdots P_n (x)$$ or $$ \left(\prod_{i=1}^n P_i\right) (x) = P_n \cdots P_1…
user
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What does this notation mean for calculating prime?

I'm not very proficient with math, but Ive managed to make my way to problem 7 of Project Euler using python. I have to now find the 10,001st prime number. I'm reading about Eucilid's theorem. But I'm afraid I do not understand enough about…
Kelbizzle
  • 113
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Help with mathematical notation for selecting a function's argument

I am trying to write the following in a mathematical notation. I have a monotonically decreasing function $V(\bullet)$, and I need to choose the argument of the function based on its amplitude. \begin{equation} \omega_{c} = \max_{\omega} \{\omega |…
siva82kb
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Explanation of notation required?

What is the meaning of the notation $sign(k \mod 4)$ where $k$ is a positive integer? The notation can be found, for example in the paper "Minimum triangle-free graphs".
Cye
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What are these symbols used for?

I do not understand these symbols. a.s. e.g. i.e. c.f. ...
Brika
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What's wrong with having the same variable in the integrand as in the limits?

To give you a bit of context, if I'm trying to calculate the work done by a force from a distance $x_0$ (given constant) to $x$ (variable), I've been told (in lectures) to write the work done as $$W=\int_{x_0}^x F(\xi)d\xi \tag{1},$$ rather than…
beep-boop
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Can straight lines be denoted by capital letters?

I've recently noticed an answer where a line was represented by a capital letter (not anymore, it's been edited). Can straight lines be represented by capital letters given that the letters are initially defined? Are there any cases when denoting…
user26486
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difference between n - 1 and n-1

I hope things are going well. I am doing some recursion stuff with databases and the text book I am reading has made it clear there is a difference between n-1 for example and n - 1. The difference being there is spacing. I know n-1 means n minus…
user133149
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