Mathematical Symbols Guide — A Comprehensive Guide to Math Symbols, Operators, Greek Letters, Logic Signs, and Scientific Notation

Mathematics uses a vast symbol system to express ideas clearly and consistently.

From simple arithmetic signs to advanced calculus, logic, geometry, and set theory, mathematical symbols form the visual language of science.

This guide covers the most essential and widely used mathematical symbols, including copy-ready Unicode characters and clean examples.

1. Basic Arithmetic Symbols

Addition (+)

**Symbol:** +

**Meaning:** increase, summation

**Example:** 2 + 3 = 5

Subtraction (−)

**Symbol:** − (minus)

**Unicode:** U+2212 (different from hyphen)

**Example:** 7 − 4 = 3

Multiplication (× • ⋅)

Common forms:

• × (times)
• ⋅ (dot)
• • (alternative dot)

**Example:**

• 6 × 4
• 3 ⋅ 7

Division (÷ ⁄ /)

• ÷ division sign
• ⁄ fraction slash
• / standard slash

**Example:** 20 ÷ 5 = 4

2. Equality & Comparison Symbols

Equal (=)

**Meaning:** identical value.

Not Equal (≠)

**Example:** 2 ≠ 5

Approximately Equal (≈)

**Example:** π ≈ 3.14

Greater Than / Less Than

• \> greater than
• < less than
• ≥ greater or equal
• ≤ less or equal

3. Algebraic Symbols

Variables

Letters like x, y, z represent unknowns.

Plus-Minus (±)

**Example:** x = 5 ± 2

Infinity (∞)

**Symbol:** ∞

**Means:** unbounded quantity.

Proportional (∝)

**Example:** distance ∝ time

4. Fractions, Exponents & Roots

Fraction Slash (⁄)

**Example:** ¾ → 3⁄4

Exponents

x² x³ x⁴

x⁻¹ (inverse)

Square Root (√) & nth Roots (∛ ∜)

**Examples:**

• √9 = 3
• ∛8 = 2

5. Geometry Symbols

Angle (∠)

**Example:** ∠ABC

Triangle (△)

**Example:** △ABC

Parallel (∥) & Perpendicular (⊥)

**Example:** a ∥ b, a ⊥ c

Degree (°)

**Example:** 90°

6. Set Theory Symbols

Element of (∈)

**Example:** x ∈ A

Not Element of (∉)

**Example:** 4 ∉ {1,2,3}

Subset (⊂) & Superset (⊃)

**Example:** A ⊂ B

Empty Set (∅)

**Meaning:** no elements.

Union (∪) & Intersection (∩)

• A ∪ B → combine
• A ∩ B → overlap

7. Logic & Boolean Symbols

AND (∧) & OR (∨)

Used in logic circuits and math.

Negation (¬)

**Meaning:** NOT.

Implication (→)

"If A, then B."

Double Arrow (↔)

If and only if.

8. Greek Letters in Mathematics

Common Uppercase Symbols

• Σ → summation
• Δ → change, difference
• Ω → ohm, sample space
• Π → product
• Γ → gamma function

Common Lowercase Symbols

• π → pi
• α → alpha
• β → beta
• λ → lambda
• θ → theta
• μ → mean
• σ → standard deviation
• φ → golden ratio

**Example:**

A = πr²

9. Calculus Symbols

Derivative (dy/dx)

Represents rate of change.

Partial Derivative (∂)

**Symbol:** ∂

**Example:** ∂f/∂x

Integral (∫)

**Example:** ∫ x² dx

Double & Triple Integrals

• ∬ double integral
• ∭ triple integral

10. Statistics & Probability Symbols

Mean (μ)

Average value.

Variance (σ²)

**Example:** σ² = variance

Standard Deviation (σ)

Probability (P)

**Example:**

P(A ∩ B)

Factorial (!)

**Example:** 5! = 120

11. Advanced Mathematical Operators

Dot Product (·)

a · b

Cross Product (×)

a × b

Summation (Σ)

Σ xᵢ

Product (Π)

Π (1 + r)

Tensor Product (⊗)

A ⊗ B

Limits

limₓ→∞ f(x)

12. Miscellaneous Symbols

Tilde (~)

Approximation or relation.

Caret (^)

Exponent in programming:

x^2

Absolute Value (|x|)

Distance from zero.

Percent (%) & Per Mille (‰)

**Examples:**

• 40%
• 15‰

13. Copy & Paste Math Symbol Table

| Symbol | Name |

|--------|------|

| ∞ | infinity |

| √ | square root |

| ± | plus-minus |

| ≤ | less or equal |

| ≥ | greater or equal |

| ≠ | not equal |

| ∑ | summation |

| ∏ | product |

| ∂ | partial derivative |

| ∫ | integral |

| ∅ | empty set |

| ∈ | element of |

| ⊥ | perpendicular |

| ∥ | parallel |

| π | pi |

| θ | theta |

| μ | mean |

| σ | standard deviation |

14. How Math Symbols Render on Different Platforms

iOS / Android

Most symbols render correctly; complex integrals vary by font.

Windows

Uses Segoe UI; stable rendering.

macOS

High-quality serif math fonts built in.

Web Browsers

MathJax / KaTeX recommended for consistency.

15. How to Type Math Symbols

HTML Entities

• `&int;` → ∫
• `&radic;` → √
• `&sum;` → Σ
• `&pi;` → π

LaTeX

```

\int

\sum

\alpha

\beta

\pi

```

Unicode Input

• **macOS:** Option + Hex
• **Windows:** Alt + Number Codes

Summary

Mathematical symbols form the shared language of science, logic, and quantitative thinking.

From simple operators to calculus, Greek letters, logic symbols, and set notation, mathematics relies on a rich system of visual signs.

These symbols help students, engineers, scientists, economists, developers, and researchers communicate ideas precisely and beautifully.

Use this guide to explore, copy, and apply the full range of mathematical notation in your own work.

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Related Symbol Guides

* [**Logic Symbols**](/blog/logic-symbols) - Boolean algebra and logical operators.

* [**Science Symbols**](/blog/science-symbols-guide) - Physics and chemistry notation.

* [**Greek Letters**](/blog/greek-letters) - Complete Greek alphabet guide.