Are SEC and CSC functions only used in English?

  • Context: High School 
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    Functions Trigonometry
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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the usage of the SEC and CSC functions in different educational contexts, particularly focusing on whether these function names are exclusive to English-speaking countries. Participants share their experiences and observations regarding the terminology used in various languages and regions, including French, Scandinavian, and Arabic contexts.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes a lack of familiarity with SEC and CSC functions among French-educated students, suggesting these terms may not be used in French education.
  • Some participants assert that SEC and CSC are recognized in Scandinavian countries and Germany, while others challenge this by stating they are not commonly used in Sweden.
  • A participant from Lebanon mentions that SEC and CSC are not used in Arabic educational contexts, despite the initial claim that they are recognized in all Arabic countries.
  • There is a humorous exchange regarding the differences in terminology and methods between Scandinavian countries, with some participants joking about cultural differences.
  • Another participant expresses surprise that SEC and CSC are not universal, indicating a belief that mathematical terminology should be consistent across languages.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the universality of SEC and CSC function names. There are multiple competing views regarding their usage in different languages and regions, with some participants asserting familiarity while others deny it.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved assumptions regarding the educational systems in various countries and the influence of language on mathematical terminology. The discussion reflects a mix of personal experiences and anecdotal evidence rather than established norms.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in the intersection of language and mathematics education, particularly those exploring how mathematical concepts are taught in different cultural contexts.

A_I_
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hello everyone,
well my story is a bit complicated..
since I've entered school i was french educated,
now I'm in my last year and I'm moving to an english school
and I'm in the field GS (general sciences)
the reason for moving schools is that I'm traveling to Canada next year
to study "astrophysics"..

anyway my question is:
when i was looking at the trigonometry chapter,
i noticed the SEC and the CSC functions
which i discovered their meanings: secx= 1/cosx
and cscx= 1/sinx

and i was astonished because there's no SEC and CSC in french.
i asked grade 11 students in english schools, they told me that they know it
and i asked french educated students in grade 12.. but they don't know it.

are these functions only used in english?

thanks for any help
joe
 
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Welcome to PF!
These function-names are also used in Scandinavia, and in Germany as well, I believe.
 
And in all the Arabic countries.
 
thankss

thanks,
you were so cooperative

regards,
joe
 
im sorry

devious_ said:
And in all the Arabic countries.



i live in lebanon (arabic country)

and we don't use them.
 
These function-names are also used in Scandinavia, and in Germany as well, I believe.

They are pretty much non-existant in Sweden.
 
Muzza said:
They are pretty much non-existant in Sweden.
Hmm..the Swedes always have their own, strange incomprehensible ways of doing things..
 
?

it's so weird

it's all about contradictions
 
  • #10
Hmm..the Swedes always have their own, strange incomprehensible ways of doing things..

Ah yes, writing 1/cos(x) instead of sec(x) is incomprehensible for you feeble-minded Norwegians...

;)
 
  • #11
Muzza said:
Ah yes, writing 1/cos(x) instead of sec(x) is incomprehensible for you feeble-minded Norwegians...

;)
FEEBLE-MINDED??
WE ARE MASTERS OF BOTH TECHNIQUES; BESIDES, YOU HAVEN'T GOT ANY OIL OR MERCHANT FLEET TO SPEAK OF!
 
  • #12
WE ARE MASTERS OF BOTH TECHNIQUES

You just said that "our" way was "incomprehensible". How typically Norwegian, you're all like John Kerry.

YOU HAVEN'T GOT ANY OIL OR MERCHANT FLEET TO SPEAK OF!

At least we don't speak as odd as you do, era jäkla brusefåtöljer.

:P
 
Last edited:
  • #13
brusefåtøljer??
 
  • #14
Legend has it that brusefåtölj ("noisy chair", I suppose) is Norwegian for "toilet" (yes, I know it's not true).
 
  • #15
Muzza said:
Legend has it that brusefåtölj ("noisy chair", I suppose) is Norwegian for "toilet" (yes, I know it's not true).
Is this some kind of strange, Swedish compliment :confused:

After all, as is well known, Swedes still dump their bodily refuse in their backyards..
 
  • #16
Where's the Dane to complete this Scandinavian insult session?

It never occurred to me that the Sec and Csc, which are pretty rarely used BTW, were not universal!
 
  • #17
I've a surname of Scandinavian descent, can I join in? However the only things I knew how to say in Danish was "hard boiled egg" (and some isolated words from Peter Hoeg novels), and I've forgotten that. You'd have to be incredibly thin skinned to find that insulting.
 
  • #18
lol.. we are talking about trigs
don't forget ! :P
 
  • #19
ah but

A_I_ said:
i live in lebanon (arabic country)

and we don't use them.

Lebanon has a French influence :-)
 
  • #20
Wasn't the Scandinavian Trigva Lie the first Secretary General of the U.N.? ;-)
 
  • #21
Not to mention that Lie itself is a wonderful mathematics name. Any relation to Sophus Lie?
 
  • #22
HallsofIvy said:
Not to mention that Lie itself is a wonderful mathematics name. Any relation to Sophus Lie?
No; Lie is a Norwegian surname about as common as Hill in English
(Lie means, BTW, "hill/hillside")
 

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