Theorem of the Day

Glossary

N.B. The easiest way to provide a glossary of terms used in the various theorems seemed to be as a pdf file which you can open in this window. If you have arrived here from one of the theorems you may prefer to open the glossary in a fresh window so that you can return to your theorem from here.

There are mathematical glossaries available on-line that are incomparably better than this: cut-the-knot, in particular, not to mention encyclopediae such as Eric Weisstein's Mathworld, PlanetMath or Wikipedia. If you already have a favourite then stick with it! Familiarity and comfort are indispensable aids to feeling at home in mathematics.

This glossary has the slight difference that it includes mathematical jargon words, such as 'elementary' or 'trivial'; 'formal' or 'rigorous'; 'difficult' or 'hard' which in mathematics take quite subtle and precise meanings. And of course there are the faux amis like 'complex' or 'power' or 'rational', which in mathematics have technical meanings often far from their everyday usage. A related issue, the origin of mathematical terminology, is dealt with admirably by Jeff Miller.

As a glossary per se, this one has one possible advantage in that its major technical terms usually reference one of the theorems of the day in which that technical term plays a major role. This may sometimes be found to add corroborative detail to an otherwise bald and unconvincing definition.

See also: the Greek alphabet and commonly-used mathematical symbols.