A DICTIONARY OF

MATHEMATICAL
SYMBOLS AND
THEIR MEANING,
RULES, AND
CONVENTIONS
Basic Mathematical Symbols with Name, Meaning and
Examples
Symbol Symbol Name Math Symbols Example
in Math Meaning
≠ not equal sign inequality 10 ≠ 6
= equal sign equality 3=1+2
< strict inequality less than 7 < 10
> strict inequality greater than 6>2
≤ inequality less than or equal x ≤ y, means, y = x or y
to > x, but not vice-versa.
≥ inequality greater than or a ≥ b, means, a = b or a >
equal to b, but vice-versa does not
hold true.
[] brackets calculate [ 2×5] + 7 = 10 + 7 =  17
expression inside
first
() parentheses calculate 3 × (3 + 7) = 3 × 10 = 30
expression inside
first
− minus sign subtraction 5−2=3
+ plus sign addition 4+5=9
∓ minus – plus both minus and 1 ∓ 4 = -3 and 5
plus operations
± plus – minus both plus and 5 ± 3 = 8 and 2
minus operations
× times sign multiplication 4 × 3 = 12
* asterisk multiplication 2*3=6
÷ division sign / division 15 ÷ 5 = 3
obelus
∙ multiplication multiplication 2∙3=6
dot
– horizontal line division / fraction 8/2 = 4
/ division slash division 6⁄2=3
mod modulo remainder 7 mod 3 = 1
calculation
ab power exponent 24 = 16
. period decimal point, 4.36 = 4 +(36/100)
decimal separator
√a square root √a · √a = a √9 = ±3
a^b caret exponent 2^3=8
4
√a fourth root 4
√a ·4√a · 4√a · 4√a 4
√16= ± 2
=a
3
√a cube root 3
√a ·3√a · 3√a = a 3
√343 = 7
% percent 1% = 1/100 10% × 30 = 3
n
√a n-th root n
√a · n√a · · · n for n=3, n√8 = 2
(radical) times = a
ppm per-million 1 ppm = 10ppm × 30 = 0.0003
1/1000000
‰ per-mille 1‰ = 1/1000 = 10‰ × 30 = 0.3
0.1%
ppt per-trillion 1ppt = 10-12 10ppt × 30 = 3×10-10
ppb per-billion 1 ppb = 10 ppb × 30 = 3×10-7
1/1000000000
 Math Logic symbols With Meaning

Symbol Symbol Name in Math Symbols Example

Math Meaning
^ caret / and x^y
circumflex
· and and x·y
+ plus or x+y
& ampersand and x&y
| vertical line or x|y
∨ reversed caret or x∨y
X̄ bar not – negation x̄
x’ single-quote not – negation x’
! Exclamation not – negation !x
mark
¬ not not – negation ¬x
~ tilde negation ~x
⊕ circled plus / exclusive or – xor x⊕y
oplus
⇔ equivalent if and only if (iff) p: this year has 366
days
q: this is a leap year
p⇔q
⇒ implies Implication p: a number is a
multiple of 4
q: the number is
even
p⇒q
∈ Belong to/is an Set membership A = {1, 2, 3}
element of 2∈A
∉ Not element of Negation of set A={1, 2, 3}
membership 0∉A
∀ for all Universal Quantifier 2n is even ∀ n ∈ N
where N is a set of
Natural Numbers
↔ equivalent if and only if (iff) p: x is an even
number
q: x is divisible by 2
p↔q
∄ there does not Negation of b is not divisible by
exist existential quantifier a, then ∄ n ∈ N such
that b = na
∃ there exists Existential quantifier b is divisible by a,
then ∃ n ∈ N such
that b = na
∵ because / since Because shorthand a = b, b = c
⇒ a = c (∵ a = b)
∴ therefore Therefore shorthand x + 6 = 10
(Logical ∴x=4
consequence)
 Combinatorics Symbols Used in Math

Symbo Symbol Meaning or Example

l Name Definition
n! 5!
n
Pk Permutation n
Pk¿ ( n−k ) ! P3 (5−3 ) ! =60
5 ¿

n! Factorial  n! = 1×2×3×…×n 5! = 1×2×3×4×5 = 120

n! 5!
n
Ck Combination nCk¿ k ! ( n−k )!
5
C3¿ 3! ( 5−3 ) ! =10
 Greek Alphabet Letters Used in Math

Greek Symbol Greek Letter English Pronunciation

Name Equivalent
Upper Lower
Case case
Β β Beta b be-ta
Α α Alpha a al-fa
Δ δ Delta d del-ta
Γ γ Gamma g ga-ma
Ζ ζ Zeta z ze-ta
Ε ε Epsilon e ep-si-lon
Θ θ Theta th te-ta
Η η Eta h eh-ta
Κ κ Kappa k ka-pa
Ι ι Iota i io-ta
Μ μ Mu m m-yoo
Λ λ Lambda l lam-da
Ξ ξ Xi x x-ee
Ν ν Nu n noo
Ο ο Omicron o o-mee-c-ron
Π π Pi p pa-yee
Σ σ Sigma s sig-ma
Ρ ρ Rho r row
Υ υ Upsilon u oo-psi-lon
Τ τ Tau t ta-oo
Χ χ Chi ch kh-ee
Φ φ Phi ph f-ee
Ω ω Omega o o-me-ga
Ψ ψ Psi ps p-see
 Common Numeral Symbols Used in Math
Name European Roman Arabic Hebrew
zero 0 n/a 0 n/a
one 1 I ١ ‫א‬
two 2 II ٢ ‫ב‬
three 3 III ٣ ‫ג‬
four 4 IV ٤ ‫ד‬
five 5 V ٥ ‫ה‬
six 6 VI ٦ ‫ו‬
seven 7 VII ٧ ‫ז‬
eight 8 VIII ٨ ‫ח‬
nine 9 IX ٩ ‫ט‬
ten 10 X ١٠ ‫י‬
eleven 11 XI ١١ ‫יא‬
twelve 12 XII ١٢ ‫יב‬
thirteen 13 XIII ١٣ ‫יג‬
fourteen 14 XIV ١٤ ‫יד‬
fifteen 15 XV ١٥ ‫טו‬
sixteen 16 XVI ١٦ ‫טז‬
seventeen 17 XVII ١٧ ‫יז‬
eighteen 18 XVIII ١٨ ‫יח‬
nineteen 19 XIX ١٩ ‫יט‬
twenty 20 XX ٢٠ ‫כ‬
thirty 30 XXX ٣٠ ‫ל‬
forty 40 XL ٤٠ ‫מ‬
fifty 50 L ٥٠ ‫נ‬
sixty 60 LX ٦٠ ‫ס‬
seventy 70 LXX ٧٠ ‫ע‬
eighty 80 LXXX ٨٠ ‫פ‬
ninety 90 XC ٩٠ ‫צ‬
one hundred 100 C ١٠٠ ‫ק‬
 Mathematics Set Theory Symbols
Symbol Symbol Name Meaning  Example
{} set a collection of elements A = {1, 7, 9, 13, 15, 23},
B = {7, 13, 15, 21}
A∪B union Elements that belong to A ∪ B = {1, 7, 9, 13, 15, 21,
set A or set B 23}
A∩B intersection Elements that belong to A ∩ B = {7, 13, 15 }
both the sets, A and B
A⊆B subset subset has few or all {7, 15} ⊆ {7, 13, 15, 21}
elements equal to the
set
A⊄B not subset left set is not a subset of {1, 23} ⊄ B
right set
A⊂B proper subset / subset has fewer {7, 13, 15} ⊂ {1, 7, 9, 13,
strict subset elements than the set 15, 23}
A⊃B proper superset set A has more {1, 7, 9, 13, 15, 23} ⊃ {7,
/ strict superset elements than set B 13, 15, }
A⊇B superset set A has more {1, 7, 9, 13, 15, 23} ⊇ {7,
elements or equal to the 13, 15, 23}
set B
Ø empty set Ø={} C = {Ø}
P (C) power set all subsets of C C = {4,7},
P(C) = {{}, {4}, {7},
{4,7}}
Given by 2s, s is number of
elements in set C
A⊅B not superset set X is not a superset {1, 2, 5} ⊅{1, 6}
of set Y
A=B equality both sets have the same {7, 13,15} = {7, 13, 15}
members
A \ B or relative objects that belong to A {1, 9, 23}
A-B complement and not to B
Ac
complement all the objects that do We know, U = {1, 2, 7, 9,
not belong to set A 13, 15, 21, 23, 28, 30}
Ac = {2, 21, 28, 30}
A∆B symmetric objects that belong to A A ∆ B = {1, 9, 21, 23}
 difference or B but not to their
intersection
a∈B element of set membership B = {7, 13, 15, 21},
13 ∈ B
(a, b) ordered pair collection of 2 elements (1, 2)
x ∉ A not element of no set membership A = {1, 7, 8, 13, 15, 23}, 5
∉A
|B| cardinality the number of elements B = {7, 13, 15, 21}, |B|= 4
of set B
A×B cartesian set of all ordered pairs {3,5} × {7,8} = {(3,7),
product from A and B (3,8), (5,7), (5, 8)}
N1 natural N1 = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5,…} 6 ∈ N1
numbers /
whole numbers
set (without
zero)
N0 natural N0 = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4,…} 0 ∈ N0
numbers /
whole numbers
set (with zero)
Q rational Q= {x | x=a/b, a, b ∈ Z} 2/6 ∈ Q
numbers set
Z integer Z= {…-3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, -6 ∈ Z
numbers set 3,…}
C complex C= {z | z = a + bi, - 6 + 2i ∈ C
numbers set ∞<a<∞,                       -
∞<b<∞}
R real numbers R= {x | -∞ < x <∞} 6.343434 ∈ R
set
 Geometry Symbol
Symbol Symbol Name Meaning/definition of the Example
Symbols
∠ angle formed by two rays ∠ABC = 30º
∟ right angle = 90º α = 90º
∢ spherical an angle, which is formed AOB = 30º
angle by the intersection of 2
great circles of the
sphere.
´ arcminute 1º = 60´ α = 60º59′
º degree 1 turn = 360º α = 60º
´´ arcsecond 1´ = 60´´ α = 60º59’59”
AB→ ray line that starts from point
A
AB line segment the line from point A to
point B
| perpendicular perpendicular lines (90º AC | BC
angle)
≅ congruent to equivalence of geometric ∆ABC ≅∆XYZ
shapes and size
|| parallel parallel lines AB || CD
Δ triangle triangle shape ΔABC ≅ΔBCD
~ similarity same shapes, not the ∆ABC ~∆XYZ
same size
π pi constant π = 3.141592654… c = π·d = 2·π·r
is the ratio between the
circumference and
diameter of a circle
|x–y| distance distance between points x | x–y | = 5
and y
grad grads grads angle unit 360º = 400 grad
rad radians radians angle unit 360º = 2π rad