CHAPTER 2 Overcoming Mathophobia: Reading and Understanding Mathematical Expressions 15

Chapter 2

Overcoming

Mathophobia: Reading

and Understanding

Mathematical

Expressions

L

et’s face it: Many people fear math, and statistical calculations require math.

In this chapter, we help you become more comfortable with reading

­mathematical expressions, which are combinations of numbers, letters, math

operations, punctuation, and grouping symbols. We also help you become more

comfortable with equations, which connect two expressions with an equal sign.

And we review formulas, which are equations designed for specific calculations.

(For simplicity, for the rest of the chapter, we use the term formula to refer to

expressions, equations, and formulas.) We also explain how to write formulas,

which you need to know in order to tell a computer how to do calculations with

your data.

IN THIS CHAPTER»

» ^{Reading mathematical notation»}

» ^{Understanding formulas and what}

they mean»

» ^{Working with arrays (collections of}

numbers)