1 Communicating mathematics

1.1 Writing mathematics

How do you write mathematics that can be read and easily understood by anyone else, such as a tutor or another student?

It takes practice, but the following guidelines may be helpful.

• Ensure that what you write consists of sentences. Too many people believe that mathematics is a language which is entirely made up of unfamiliar symbols. It is not. Many symbols act in part merely as abbreviations which, when read, can be translated back into spoken words.

• Ensure that there are sufficient words of explanation so that the reader is led, line by line, through your proposed solution or argument.