Foreword · Methodology
This list of vocabulary comparison between the French system and the IB system has been done with AI (most specifically ChatGPT) because it is very efficient in the task of comparing quickly many sources and extracting conclusions.
As there are no websites that establish a direct link between the French educational system's mathematical vocabulary and the IB's, I explicitly used official websites to make the comparison more reliable. In this sense, the official French curriculum terminology and the terminology used in the official IB mathematics documents have been used.
Note that the terminology is closely related but it does not always mean exactly the same concept, as each educational systems have different ways of approaching the topics.
To make the vocabulary comparison easier to revise, it has been classified under the main IB MYP topics: Number, Algebra, Geometry and trigonometry, and Statistics and probability, with Standard and Extended levels.
Number
NUMBERS
The French programme explicitly includes nombres relatifs, nombres rationnels, puissances, racines carrées, multiples/diviseurs and fractions.
Relationship between an element and a set.
3 ∈ {1, 2, 3}
Value close to an exact value.
π ≈ 3.14
Replacing a number by a nearby simpler value.
3.14159 ≈ 3.14
MathBridge note — To 3 significant figures, to a given number of decimal places, or to the nearest unit are the most common ways of rounding in the IB.
Number being raised to a power.
In 3⁴, 3 is the base.
Product of an integer by itself.
8² = 64
The result of multiplying a number by itself.
5² = 25
Integer that is the square of another integer.
36 = 6²
Digit representing hundreds.
In 583, it is 5.
Digit representing tens.
In 583, it is 8.
Digit representing units.
In 583, it is 3.
Digits carrying meaningful precision in a measurement.
3.42 has three significant figures.
Number multiplying a quantity to produce another quantity.
20% increase → multiplier 1.2
A rule determining whether one number divides another exactly.
A number ending in 0 is divisible by 10.
The result of multiplying a number by itself three times.
3³ = 27
Decimal expansion that ends.
1/4 = 0.25
Decimal expansion in which a pattern repeats indefinitely.
1/3 = 0.333…
Writing a number as a product of prime numbers.
60 = 2² × 3 × 5
The bottom number of a fraction.
In 3/5, 5 is the denominator.
Property that between two distinct real numbers there are infinitely many other real numbers.
Between 1 and 2 lie infinitely many real numbers.
A number that divides another number exactly.
3 is a divisor of 12.
Relationship between a representation and the actual object.
Scale 1:100
Mathematical expression using symbols and operations.
3x + 2
Representation using decimal notation.
3/4 = 0.75
Representation as a number out of 100.
0.4 = 40%
Representation of a number as a fraction.
0.75 = 3/4
Number that forces a particular result under an operation.
0 × 7 = 0
Number that leaves another number unchanged under an operation.
0 is the additive identity.
Collection of mathematical objects.
{1, 2, 3}
Absolute difference between an exact value and an approximation.
Exact = 10, estimate = 9.7: error = 0.3
Absolute error divided by the exact value.
0.3/10 = 0.03
Operation of raising a number to a power.
3⁴ = 81
Number indicating how many times the base is multiplied by itself.
In 3⁴, 4 is the exponent.
Expression involving roots.
√5 + 2
A number or representation formed from a numerator and denominator.
3/4
Fraction whose denominator is a power of 10.
37/100
A fraction representing the same value as another.
1/2 = 2/4
A fraction that cannot be simplified further.
2/3
Fraction representing a negative value.
−2/5
Fraction representing a positive value.
2/5
Relationship where every element of one set belongs to another.
[2,4] ⊂ [1,5]
Set containing values common to both intervals.
[1,5] ∩ [3,7] = [3,5]
Set of real numbers lying between specified endpoints.
2 ≤ x < 5
Interval including both endpoints.
[2, 5]
Interval excluding both endpoints.
]2, 5[
Interval including one endpoint but not the other.
[2, 5[
Number that multiplies the original to give 1.
Reciprocal of 4 is 1/4.
Property of a number that cannot be written as a ratio of integers.
√2 is irrational.
A number obtained by multiplying an integer by another integer.
12 is a multiple of 3.
A mathematical object representing quantity or position.
7
A number represented using a finite decimal expansion.
2.75
A whole number that may be positive, negative or zero.
−3, 0, 7
A non-negative integer, depending on convention.
0, 1, 2, 3, …
A number that cannot be written as a ratio of two integers.
√2
A number less than zero.
−5
A number greater than zero.
5
Positive integer greater than 1 with exactly two positive divisors.
7
A number expressible as a ratio of two integers with non-zero denominator.
3/4
Any number on the real number line.
−2, 1/3, √5
A number with a positive or negative sign.
−7
Writing a number as a × 10ⁿ, where 1 ≤ a < 10.
3.2 × 10⁴
The top number of a fraction.
In 3/5, 3 is the numerator.
A number with the same magnitude but opposite sign.
The opposite of 5 is −5.
Approximate scale of a quantity.
4,800 is approximately 5,000.
Symbols used to group part of an expression.
3(2+4)
Portion of a decimal after the decimal point.
In 4.72, the decimal part is 0.72.
Whole-number component of a decimal number.
Integer part of 4.72 is 4.
Greatest positive integer dividing two integers.
gcd(12, 18) = 6
A quantity expressed per hundred.
25% = 25/100
Smallest positive common multiple of two integers.
lcm(4, 6) = 12
Rules determining the order in which operations are evaluated.
Multiplication before addition.
Multiplication of powers using exponent laws.
2³ × 2⁴ = 2⁷
Equality between two ratios or relationship of a part to a whole.
2/5 = 4/10
Relationship where one quantity is a constant multiple of another.
y = 3x
Grouping can be changed without changing the result.
(2+3)+4 = 2+(3+4)
Order can be changed without changing the result.
3 + 5 = 5 + 3
Repeated multiplication represented using an exponent.
2⁴ = 16
Represents the reciprocal of a positive power.
2⁻³ = 1/8
For non-zero a, a⁰ = 1.
7⁰ = 1
Raising a power to another exponent.
(2³)² = 2⁶
A power whose base is 10.
10³ = 1000
Result of a division.
12 ÷ 3 = 4
Division of powers with the same base.
5⁶ / 5² = 5⁴
Non-negative number whose square equals the given number.
√49 = 7
Number inside a radical symbol.
In √7, 7 is the radicand.
Comparison of two quantities by division.
Ratio 2:3
Rewrite a fraction so its denominator contains no irrational radical.
1/√2 = √2/2
Rewriting fractions with a common denominator.
1/2 = 3/6
Amount left after integer division.
14 = 3 × 4 + 2; remainder = 2
Relative change expressed as a percentage.
From 50 to 60: 20% increase.
Set containing values belonging to either interval.
[1,3] ∪ [5,7]
Distance of a number from zero.
|−5| = 5
A value close to the exact value.
√2 ≈ 1.414
Value represented by a digit according to its position.
7 in 70 represents seventy.
