Introduction

LANGUAGE AND MATHEMATICS

One of the most important aspects of mathematics is language. It is necessary medium
by which abstract ideas can be effectively translated in such a way that we can easily
understand them.
What are numbers? Suppose you are given a twenty-peso bill. What enters your mind: a
chesse burger, rent for internet, two bottles of coke sakto?
Numbers can actually be compared to ideas. We can neither touch them for they only
exists in our mind. For example, the idea of 20 can be represented by a twenty peso bill. To
clearly represent these number ideas, we use symbols called numerals. Hence, these numerals
stand for number ideas and not actually for numbers.
However through the years, numbers and numerals have come to mean one and the same
thing. They are used interchangeably today. From the crude system of the counting principles
of Chinese abacus, to the present Hindu Arabic numerals, the number system developed into
what we now call Mathematics.
I.

THE REAL NUMBER SYSTEM

Since before, we have become so used to counting that we seem to have taken
the idea of counting for granted. Just how did we learn to count.
In the early centuries, shepherds who tended their sheep counted their flock at the
end of the day by placing a twig or a pebble for every sheep that passed by. For
every ten sheep, a longer twig or larger pebble was used. This gradually developed

into strokes. The Egyptians then made use of pictures while the Chinese invented
the abacus until both the Roman and Hindu Arabic numerals evolved. All these
different stages of number development only proved one thing that the essence of
counting has become a necessity for any group of people living in a community.
REAL
NUMBERS

RATIONAL
NUMBERS

IRRATIONAL
NUMBERS

INTEGERS
(+, -)

FRACTIONS

negative
fractions

positive
fractions

prime
numbers

WHOLE
NUMBERS

NEGATIVE
NUMBERS

NATURAL
NUMBERS

ZERO

perfect
ssquare

perfect cube

Rational numbers the quotient of two integers, numerator and

denominator,
excluding dividing it by zero.
Irrational numbers these are numbers including

or any numbers that

2 ,

3 ,

has no exact value.

Prime numbers numbers that has only one factor

Perfect square numbers including 4, 9, 16, 25, .
Perfect cube numbers including 8, 27, 64, 125 .

SIMPLIFICATION OF ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS

Certain algebraic expressions involving numerals, variables and operations can be
shortened or may be made simpler by the use of the basic properties of the real number
system. Variables are symbols which can be assigned to certain values. They are usually
denoted by letters x, y, z or any letter in the English alphabet.
1. 3 (x + y) if x = 2 and y = 7
Using the distributive property of multiplication over addition and subtracting the
assigned values for the variables x and y, we have,
3 (x + y) = 3x + 3y = 3 (2) + 3 (7) = 27.
2. 15a (7a + 6a) if a = 4

Combining the terms, removing the grouping symbols, and substituting 4 for the
variable, a, we have,
15a 13a = 2a = 2 (4) = 8.

Evaluating Expressions
Name___________________________________ Date__________________
Evaluate each using the values given.
1) y 2 + x; use x = 1, and y = 2
2) a 5 b; use a = 10, and b = 4
3) p 2 + m; use m = 1, and p = 5
4) y + 9 x; use x = 1, and y = 3
5) m + p 5; use m = 1, and p = 5
6) y 2 x; use x = 7, and y = 7
7) z(x + y); use x = 6, y = 8, and z = 6
8) x + y + y; use x = 9, and y = 10
9) p 3 + 10 + m; use m = 9, and p = 3
10) 6q + m m; use m = 8, and q = 3
11) p 2m 4; use m = 4, and p = 7
12) y (z + z 2 ); use y = 10, and z = 2
13) z (y 3 1); use y = 3, and z = 7
14) (y + x) 2 + x; use x = 1, and y = 1
15) p (9 (m + q)); use m = 4, p = 5, and q = 3
16) (a 2 b) 6; use a = 5, and b = 1
17) (6 + h 2 j) 2; use h = 6, and j = 4
18) y (4 x y 2); use x = 3, and y = 2
19) x 3 3 y; use x = 3, and y = 1
20) ( p + q) 2 (5 5); use p = 1, and q = 1
21) 12k h 2 ; use h = 2, and k = 3
22) y 5 + 1 + x 6; use x = 6, and y = 5

23) 6 6 + z + x y; use x = 2, y = 5, and z = 6

24) y z + xz 6; use x = 3, y = 4, and z = 4
25) y 2 + x + 4 + z + y; use x = 7, y = 2, and z = 4