What math symbol would I use for never equal to

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter richyw
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Symbol
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the appropriate mathematical symbols to express the concept of "never equal to" in various contexts, including functions and their properties. Participants explore how to convey conditions under which certain expressions do not hold true.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about using the symbol "≠" to express that \( e^x \) is never equal to 0, questioning if \( e^x \neq 0 \) is appropriate.
  • Another participant suggests that for the second case, one could express the relationship as \( g(x) = k \Rightarrow f(g(x)) \neq 0 \) or state that \( f(g(x)) \neq 0 \) whenever \( g(x) = k \).
  • A different participant proposes using the qualifier "for all" to clarify that \( e^x > 0 \) for all \( x \in \mathbb{R} \), indicating a preference for specificity over the "never equal to" phrasing.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the use of mathematical symbols to express conditions of inequality, but there are differing opinions on the best way to articulate these conditions, particularly regarding the use of qualifiers and specific symbols.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes various interpretations of mathematical expressions and their implications, with some participants emphasizing the need for clarity in notation and others focusing on the symbolic representation of conditions.

Who May Find This Useful

Students learning mathematical notation, particularly in the context of functions and inequalities, as well as those seeking clarification on expressing conditions in mathematical language.

richyw
Messages
179
Reaction score
0
What math symbol would I use for "never equal to"

alright so I know that 1\neq 2 means that "1 is not equal to 2" right?

so could I say that e^x\neq 0. Would this mean that e^x is never equal to 0? I know it seems small, but it confuses me a bit.

also what would I say if I had a function of another function, where the first function is not true if the second function is equal to some value, if that makes any sense.

Like if I said f(g(x))\neq 0 , g(x)=k would that be saying that f(g(x) is not equal to zero as long as g(x) is equal to some number?

I've tried searching this and am just really confused. I have to start learning this stuff because my homework is slowly getting filled with all of these upside down v's and backwards E and stuff!
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org


That seems right for the first one. For the second one try:
g(x) = k \Rightarrow f(g(x)) \neq 0 or f(g(x)) \neq 0 whenever g(x) = k.
 


For the first one, you could use a qualifier, "for all."

## \forall x \in \mathbb{R}, e^x > 0##

The upside-down A means "for any," "for all," or "for each." I wrote ex > 0 rather than ex ≠ 0 to be more specific.
 


thanks a lot!
 

Similar threads

Replies
11
Views
12K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
3K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
3K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
2K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
1K