What is the difference between 'so that' and 'such that' in mathematical jargon?

[lolgarithms]

"so that" and "such that"

Have a question about usage of mathematical jargon...
what are the differences between usage of "so that" and "such that"?

"z is a complex number such that Re[z]>0.": correct
"z is a complex number so that Re[z]>0.": wrong

but what about this case:

"Define z so that Re[z]>0"
"Define z such that Re[z]>0"

I really can't embarass myself when I write mathematical papers. please help.

 

[AUMathTutor]

Perhaps someone has a more technical answer than this, but...

For me, "such that" means something is already a certain way and you're describing it, whereas so that means that something isn't a certain way already, but you're prescribing it. For instance...

"You have to study *so that* you will pass the test."
"You read a book *such* that it's 20 pages long."

Like, "so that" is a means to an end, and "such that" is just how it is.

I apologize if this isn't right. Somebody will be along to correct me.


In English, the difference between "so that" and "such that" is a much easier one to make, but I'm not sure it carries into the realm of mathematics. "such" is a word derived from "so much". "Such" deals with quantities, whereas "So" deals with qualities.

 

[Dadface]

I looked up "such that" in the Collins concise English dictionary and the definition was:used to express purpose or result."So that",however, was adjacent to "such that" but not in bold type.It seems from this that either usage is correct.When I looked for
"so that" it wasn't entered.Because of the emphasis in the dictionary it seems that "such that" is the preferred usage.I,also,apologise if this isn't right.

 

[matt grime]

"So" means "hence" - there should be a deduction: we choose X so that Y is true.

Or something like that, anyway. 'Such that' can also be used to mean 'satisfying' where it wouldn't be sensible to use 'so that'.

 

[Enuma_Elish]

"Define z so that Re[z]>0": correct

"Define z such that Re[z]>0": incorrect

"Suppose there exists a complex number z such that Re[z]>0": correct

"Suppose there exists a complex number z so that Re[z]>0": incorrect

 

[HallsofIvy]

Grammatically, "such that" applies to a noun, "so that" applies to a verb. I believe that is also what Enuma Elish is saying.

 

[lolgarithms]

im kinda confused because of different explanations

also, you can say "z is defined so that Re[z] > 0"
in other words, "so that" indicates an end, a purpose while such that just describes
does this sum up the correct usage?

 

[Dadface]

Well there does seem to be confusion here and perhaps we are being too fussy.How about an alternative, for example...Z is defined in such a way that etc

 

[symbolipoint]

"Such" seems to have a quality like a relative pronoun which can be used in combination with "that", working as a conjunction. HallsOfIvy gave the briefest and most useful characterisation. The "such" involved can be an idea having no concrete existence.