is math a language?

[ark200]

is math a language? if yes, what is its grammer and vocabulary? how to read, write and appreciate it?

[ajb]

It is in part a language, but a mathematics paper should be a "piece of poetry". Thus, I think your question is a bit vague as it stands. What is your view on mathematics just being a language?

[Hendrick Laursen]

Math isn't a language by itself, but it has it's own language. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_of_mathematics

[chemistry student]

Yeah, most people who are good at maths are usually good at learning the grammer of new languages so :L

[elfmotat]

I believe it was Feynman who said that math is language + logic.

[Sato]

There are language(s) to express ideas in mathematics, like that of symbolic logic and set theory, however, mathematics itself is the study of abstractions. That's how I see it at least.

[ark200]

Math isn't a language by itself, but it has it's own language. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_of_mathematics

thanks a lot. it is of real help. it is exactly what i want.

[BrainTrainer]

Maths is not a language. A language is something that expresses human communication, their expressions, what they want to say.. Anything that gives out numeric values and symbols as a result of an equation - therefore I would very vehemently say that maths is NOT a language.

[Prometheus]

Maths is not a language. A language is something that expresses human communication, their expressions, what they want to say.. Anything that gives out numeric values and symbols as a result of an equation - therefore I would very vehemently say that maths is NOT a language.

 

 

What if what I want to say is that the ratio of a circles circumference to its diameter is a particular number? I could express this using English, as i just have, or maths. Same expression but one is a language and one is not?

 

I don't understand why you would restrict a language to only communicating 'human expressions' - by which i take it you mean emotions?

[Katrinarose34]

Mathematics is a language of its own that is combined with the language (IE: English) in which it is being spoken. At first we learn the basics and the terminology to formulate formulas, thereby creating sentences and explanations as to how the formula works. Take this formula for example: a²+b²=c². To a first grader this may just look like letters with floating two's. But, to a ninth grader they know that this is the formula for the Pythagorean Theorem.

[MonDie]

I believe it was Feynman who said that math is language + logic.

 

That encompasses most language, not just math, and code fits that description equally well.

 

Interestingly, math expresses no raw sensory or affective experiences, but a higher order processing of the patterns found in them. It could not stand on its own.

Yet any language needs some math to be useful.