Questions tagged [vocabulary]
The vocabulary tag has no usage guidance.
10 questions
32
votes
9
answers
10k
views
Is it harmful to use the word "Cancel"?
Elsewhere, among a group of high school math teachers, I encountered a discussion of the term 'cancel'. Most (>20) people in the discussion had very strong feelings about why the term should be ...
23
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Can we avoid confusion over using "let" as a quantifier?
I've encountered the following misunderstanding.
I pose a question (to undergraduates in the U.S.), for example:
Let $P$ be a polygon of $n$ vertices.
Is it true that every triangulation of $P$
has ...
- 30.2k
13
votes
23
answers
24k
views
Examples of vocabulary that have different meanings in Mathematics compared to "everyday" English
I am asking this question here to obtain a nice reference list. I am asking for examples of words which have different connotations or meanings in Mathematics compared to English as taught in ...
- 141
9
votes
1
answer
474
views
When did the term and taught technique 'cross multiplication' enter into common use?
The title says it all, I suppose. I'm interested to know when/where the term/technique cross multiply came into use. Sources would be nice.
In case it's unfamiliar to anyone, or in case the usage of ...
- 5,030
8
votes
1
answer
167
views
How do you encourage students to use verbs other than "solve"?
I see this a lot with students, "solve this derivative", "solve this integral", "solve the following expression".
You can compute a derivative, evaluate an integral, simplify an expression, solve an ...
user5108
7
votes
3
answers
4k
views
"Sigma Notation" vs. "Summation Notation"
I was having a discussion with a colleague a few weeks ago, and she opted to use the term "Summation Notation" whereas I had a preference for "Sigma Notation". We didn't have the time to tangentially ...
- 3,701
7
votes
2
answers
578
views
Phase shift vs. horizontal shift, and frequency vs. angular frequency in sinusoidal functions
TL;DR version:
It seems to me that high school curricula no longer distinguish between "horizontal shift" and "phase shift", or between "frequency" and "angular ...
- 17.4k
4
votes
3
answers
467
views
About the word "limit" used in calculus
In the introduction of the limits chapter of a scholar book I can read (translated and abstract) the following examples:
"the price of a product has a limit value that, from this price, the
number of ...
- 435
3
votes
3
answers
331
views
Word for the dimension of the vector space in which a vector lives?
The following issue comes up whenever I teach linear algebra: I want to have a quick way to say that a vector $(x,y,z)$ is in $\mathbb{R}^3$. I am tempted to say that it has "length $3$". But then ...
- 5,382
-1
votes
1
answer
64
views
Problem solving or question answering
What can be the most appropriate way of asking , Solve the problem or answer the question ?
As common usage in examinations we have question papers for all subjects. Therefore like in other subjects ...
- 1,154