Symbols in Algebra

Common Symbols Used in Algebra

Symbols save time and space when writing. Here are the most common algebraic symbols:

Symbol	Meaning	Example
+	add	3+7 = 10
−	subtract	5−2 = 3
×	multiply	4×3 = 12
·	multiply (as "×" can look like "x")	4·3 = 12
/	divide	20/5 = 4
√	square root ("radical")	√4 = 2
	cube root
	nth root
( )	grouping symbols (round brackets)	2(a−3)
[ ]	grouping symbols (square brackets)	2[ a−3(b+c) ]
{ }	set symbols (curly brackets)	{1,2,3}
=	equals	1+1 = 2
≈	approximately equal to	π ≈ 3.14
≠	not equal to	π ≠ 2
< ≤	less than, less than or equal to	2 < 3
> ≥	greater than, greater than or equal to	5 > 1
⇒	implies (if ... then)	a and b are odd ⇒ a+b is even
⇔	"if and only if" or iff or "is equivalent to"	x=y+1 ⇔ y=x−1
∴	Therefore	a=b ∴ b=a
!	Factorial	4! = 4×3×2×1 = 24