Represent

Pronunciation: /ˌrɛ.prɪˈzɛnt/ Explain

To represent something means using a symbol to stand for something else. In math, we use various characters to stand for something else. Here is a table of some common representations in math:

Representation	What it means
π	This represents the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.
A variable (a, b, c, …; A, B, C, …)	A variable represents a quantity which is unknown or can change (can vary).
9 / 3	An improper fraction can be a representation of a whole number. In this case, 9 / 3 is the same as the whole number 3.
	A graph can be used to represent a function.
Year 1995 1996 1997 Sales 10320 10450 10210	A table can be used to represent a function.

We use representations in algebra so the same symbol always means the same thing, and so we can write about a concept without a lot of words.

References

1. McAdams, David E.. All Math Words Dictionary, represent. 2nd Classroom edition 20150108-4799968. pg 155. Life is a Story Problem LLC. January 8, 2015. Buy the book

More Information

• McAdams, David E.. Model. allmathwords.org. Life is a Story Problem LLC. 3/12/2009. http://www.allmathwords.org/en/m/mathmodel.html.

Educator Resources

• Representation. NASA LaRC Office of Education. 2/18/2010. http://www.archive.org/details/NasaConnect-Ve-Representation/index.htm.

Cite this article as:

McAdams, David E. Represent. 5/3/2019. All Math Words Encyclopedia. Life is a Story Problem LLC. http://www.allmathwords.org/en/r/represent.html.

Image Credits

• All images and manipulatives are by David McAdams unless otherwise stated. All images by David McAdams are Copyright © Life is a Story Problem LLC and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Revision History

5/3/2019: Changed equations and expressions to new format. (McAdams, David E.)
12/21/2018: Reviewed and corrected IPA pronunication. (McAdams, David E.)
12/5/2018: Removed broken links, updated license, implemented new markup. (McAdams, David E.)
7/12/2007: Initial version. (McAdams, David E.)