Maths contains many symbols, known as notations, which represent different functions and operations. If you have questions about a symbol you’ve seen on the Learning Lab, check out the glossary below.
Foundational notations
These symbols appear across different areas of maths and science content.
Symbol
Explanation
\(+\)
plus
\(-\)
minus
\(\times\)
multiplied by, times
\(\div\)
divided by
\(\pm\)
plus-or-minus
\(=\)
equals
\(\gt\)
greater than
\(\lt\)
less than
\(\ge\)
greater than or equal to
\(\le\)
less than or equal to
\(\neq\)
does not equal
\(\approx\)
is approximately
\(\propto\)
is proportional to
\(\therefore\)
therefore
\(\sqrt{}\)
root
\(\%\)
percent
\(\infty\)
infinity
\(\theta\)
theta, represents an angle
\(\Delta\)
delta, represents change
\(\vert{x}\vert\)
absolute value of x
Specialised notations
Each area of maths below has notations that are specific to the area.
