Is there a resource for learning to read mathematical notation/equations/formulae?

Question

Ideally, I am looking for an online resource. But a book or any other would help already.

Background: I am a senior teaching assistant in the field of business and statistics. Most of my students have not had formal training in mathematics, and neither have I. I notice many of our students have difficulty following the professor's lectures for the trivial reason that they do not know mathematical notation (the professor does have a math background). In my experience as a schoolkid and student, no-one has ever explained how to read an equation. The only reason I know, is that I have cobbled it together from what my professors have said while pointing to their equations, which they always acted we knew how to read already.

I have made some effort to look for such a resource with my search engine, but have not found anything approaching what I mean.

Caveat: I appreciate that there are many subfields of mathematics, and that they use vastly different notations. A general resource would interest me most (and be most useful to future readers of this question), but in my case I am specifically in need of the notations needed in statistical calculations, so: sum, estimate, average, indexing, etc.

Do you mean something like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_mathematical_symbols — trula, Sep 28 '23 at 14:34
Perhaps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooqQZ-_f_bg (U. Adelaide, "Understanding Maths Notation"), goes from elementary math through calculus notations. I don't know a source that discusses the different meanings of "=" (identity, condition, equation to be solved, assignment/definition). Students with a weak background in math often do not distinguish these meanings. -- Overall, it's learning a new language and takes a lot of practice to be able to readily understand a lecture. — user1815, Sep 28 '23 at 14:35
Is it only the math notation they are not understanding or the math in general?
@Racquel below makes an excellent point. "Being told that, say, a capital sigma means summing numbers up does not prepare the student to follow the lecturer at the same speed that the lecturer will be reasoning about sums in their presentation. [...] fluency allows one, [occasionally], to predict what the next step in the lecture will be. That ability certainly makes the lecture more readily understood. Generally, math teachers seem to think that fluency is best attained by solving relevant math problems." — nickalh, Sep 28 '23 at 22:07
I think we need a bit more information as I don't see how a TA in statistics does not have knowledge of maths notation - How do they define the mean without that knowledge. — mmmmmm, Sep 30 '23 at 13:08

score 11 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 28 '23 at 16:16

The video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooqQZ-_f_bg (U. Adelaide, "Understanding Maths Notation"), goes from elementary math through calculus notations.

I don't know a source that discusses the different meanings of "=" (identity, condition, equation to be solved, assignment/definition). Students with a weak background in math often do not distinguish these meanings.

Overall, learning new math notation is like learning a new language. It takes a lot of practice to be able to readily understand a lecture. Being told that, say, a capital sigma means summing numbers up does not prepare the student to follow the lecturer at the same speed that the lecturer will be reasoning about sums in their presentation. I will say that fluency allows one, at least half the time, to predict what the next step in the lecture will be. That ability certainly makes the lecture more readily understood. Generally, math teachers seem to think that fluency is best attained by solving relevant math problems. If the student does not want to put in the work to be fluent, at least being able to decipher their notes will make their notes much more useful. I hope the video addresses that. I assume the students probably do not need to be fluent; otherwise, there should be mathematics prerequisite for the course. But if some want to be good at something, they ought to be aware of what choices they have to strive for that goal.

When I watched that video, this one was recommended. It also looks good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp2bYWRQylk — Sue VanHattum, Sep 28 '23 at 17:46

Justin Skycak · Answer 2 · 2023-09-29T06:05:02.640

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Here's a general workflow for identifying the meaning of an unknown mathematical symbol/expression:

use an online tool (like webdemo.myscript.com/views/math) to convert a drawing of the symbol/expression into Latex commands
ask ChatGPT (chat.openai.com, free version 3.5 is fine) what the math symbol/expression given by those Latex commands means
[added in response to Sue's comment] based on ChatGPT's explanation, perform Google searches for more specific information/examples/fact-checking as needed

Here's an demonstration on the expression $\displaystyle \sum_{i=1}^n \textrm E[X_i],$ which seems highly relevant to your specific use-case.

Step 1: Drawing $\to$ Latex Commands

Step 2: Latex Commands $\to$ Summary

Step 3: Summary $\to$ More Specific Information / Examples / Fact-Checking

edited Sep 29 '23 at 06:05

answered Sep 28 '23 at 15:31

Justin Skycak

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Except that chatgpt often gives clearly false answers. It might be an ok first step, but you'd certainly want to check afterwards, to see if it just made things up. – Sue VanHattum Sep 28 '23 at 16:10
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Of course. That would be a good step 3. Will update answer. – Justin Skycak Sep 28 '23 at 17:16

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 28 '23 at 14:40

If you are a teaching assistant, you should ask your professor to give a short instruction of the notation he uses, this would be much better for you and the students. He could do it in a lecture or just give out a short paper with the commonly used notation an examples of use. like $\sum_{k=1}^5 k^2= 1^2+2^2+3^2+4^2+5^2$ This would be much better than any source in the net or book.

Jasper · Answer 4 · 2023-09-29T04:37:52.090

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Questions about [reading-aloud] [mathematics] expressions are on-topic on the English Language Learners stack exchange. For example, this question asks how to read an equation including a summation, and another equation including integrals and limits. One of the answers has links to 3 guides.

Another question on this MathEducators stack exchange discusses why math uses shorthand so much.

edited Sep 29 '23 at 04:37

answered Sep 29 '23 at 04:17

Jasper

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Guest troll · Answer 5 · 2023-10-06T22:37:23.473

Quarter of a loaf answer, but one of the things I like about some texts is that they will have a list of symbols, to include even Greek alphabet. And will have a glossary. It seems most appropriate for lower level books and within that foe review texts. And still only a sad small subsection of books do this. But in my mind a book is a tool snd these sorts of features, also add in a good index make the learning tool more helpful. So practically, what I suggest is just looking at several textbooks and seeing if a few have front or back sections like this that you like and can then plagiarize. The texts I know that do this well are the 1940s era US War Dept Ed Manuals. But if you just physically look through some college algebra a calc and such texts at a brick and mortar library you should find some good ones, maybe a bit more in older books. Also, take a look at, DC minus one, Ayres schaums review for college algebra...think it is called first year math.

Just reread head post and saw you were looking for stats stuff. Again, would just look at some entry level review texts. Also...an incredible resource of this sort of thing is Michael Linberg EIT Reference Manual. Chock full of formula and symbol lists, for all STEM topics.

score 0 · Answer 6 · answered Jan 21 '24 at 17:19

Is there a resource for learning to read mathematical notation/equations/formulae?

Yes, there are several resources available for learning to read mathematical notation, equations, and formulae. Here are some suggestions:

Khan Academy:

Website: Khan Academy Khan Academy offers a comprehensive set of lessons on various math topics, including how to read and understand mathematical notation. The lessons are organized in a progressive manner, making it easy for beginners to follow. Purplemath:

Website: Purplemath Purplemath provides lessons and resources to help students understand and navigate mathematical concepts, including notations and equations. The website is particularly useful for algebra-related topics. MIT OpenCourseWare:

Website: MIT OCW MIT OpenCourseWare offers free access to a wide range of math courses. You can find lecture notes, assignments, and other materials that cover mathematical notation and equations. Paul's Online Math Notes:

Website: Paul's Online Math Notes This resource provides comprehensive notes and tutorials on various math topics, including algebra, calculus, and more. It can be a helpful reference for understanding mathematical notation. Mathway:

Website: Mathway Mathway is an online tool that allows you to input mathematical problems, and it provides step-by-step solutions. It can be a helpful resource for understanding how different notations and equations are solved. Wolfram Alpha:

Website: Wolfram Alpha Wolfram Alpha is a computational search engine that can solve mathematical problems and provide detailed explanations. It's a valuable tool for understanding mathematical notations and exploring different mathematical concepts. Books:

"How to Read and Do Proofs: An Introduction to Mathematical Thought Processes" by Daniel Solow "How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method" by George Pólya Remember that practice is crucial when it comes to understanding mathematical notation. Work through exercises and problems regularly to reinforce your understanding. Additionally, don't hesitate to ask for help from teachers, tutors, or online communities if you encounter difficulties with specific concepts.

score -1 · Answer 7 · answered Sep 28 '23 at 14:03

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I'm guessing that the sigma (summation) notation is the problem.

Example:

See: https://www.khanacademy.org/math/ap-calculus-ab/ab-integration-new/ab-6-3/a/review-summation-notation

Maybe integral notation (another kind of summation) from calculus?

Example:

See: https://www.khanacademy.org/math/ap-calculus-ab/ab-integration-new/ab-6-1/v/introduction-to-integral-calculus

answered Sep 28 '23 at 14:03

Dan Christensen

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If I have to read $\sum 2n-1$ I'd interpret it as $\left( \sum 2n \right) - 1$, but I would never write this myself. Instead I'd write the more explicit $\left( \sum 2n \right) - 1$ so as to avoid confusion with $\sum \left( 2n - 1 \right)$ – Stef Sep 28 '23 at 16:21
@stef I simply copied the image from the link to the Khan Academy page. I presented no interpretation of it. Technically, you may be right, but, since you raise the point, I'm guessing that the author (not me) omitted brackets for readability, with implicit bracketing around (2n -1). This is supported by comments at the link. – Dan Christensen Sep 30 '23 at 15:36
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That's actually pretty disappointing from Khan Academy. Almost every math source I know uses the convention that $\sum 2n - 1$ should be parsed as $\left( \sum 2n \right) - 1$, not $\sum \left( 2n - 1 \right)$, and using a different convention is just bound to generate confusion in the students. What if I write $\sum 2n + \sum 2m$, is it supposed to be $\sum \left( 2n + \sum 2m \right)$? :-( – Stef Oct 01 '23 at 13:19

Is there a resource for learning to read mathematical notation/equations/formulae?

7 Answers7