Mathematical Vanity Plates
by J. Fred Ettline II in the Mathematics Teacher March 1990



Individuals have found that personalized license plates can serve as a medium of communication to promote their interests.

A pharmacist orders   4 MU L8,
a judge   A JU D K8,
a surgeon   KUTR DOC,
a lawyer   GR8 DFC,
and a tennis enthusiast   10S N E 1.

As students of mathematics, you will surely want to promote that discipline on your license plate.   So, the following are offered as suggestions.   Write the correct word or words that each license is promoting.

Abundant ________   A BUN DNT
Adjacent ________   A J SNT
Acute Angle _____   A QT NGL
Addition ________   ADD I SHN

Addends _________   ADD NS
Algebra _________   AL G BRA
Centimeter ______   CEN T MTR
Collinear _______   CO LN E R

Divisor _________   D VIZ OR
Deviation _______   D V A SHN
Diameter ________   DI AM E TR
Dividend ________   DI VI DND

Difference ______   DI FER NC
Division ________   DI VI ZUN
Do Math _________   DO MTH
Learn Math ______   LRN MTH

Disjoint ________   DS JOINT
Dispersion ______   DS PR SHN
Equality ________   E QAL I T
Equation ________   E QA SHN

Equivalent ______   E QI V LNT
Factor __________   FACT R
Fraction ________   FRAK SHN
Frequency _______   FRE QN CY

Function ________   FUNK SHN
Whole Number ____   HOL NBR
Hexagon _________   HX A GN
Hypotenuse ______   HI PT N USE

Identity ________   I DN TI TY
Improper ________   IM PROP R
Invalid _________   IN VAL ID
Calculate _______   KAL Q L8

Complement ______   KM PLE MNT
Composite _______   KM POZ IT
Congruent _______   KN GRU NT
Concurrent ______   KN CUR NT

Coeficient ______   KO E FS NT
Coordinate ______   KO ORD NT
Corollary _______   KR A LARY
Less Than _______   LES THN

Minuend _________   MIN U ND
Interior ________   N TEAR E R
Integer _________   N TE GER
Infinity ________   1 DIV 0

Inscribe ________   N SCRIBE
Notation ________   NO TA SHN
Number __________   NUM BR
Numeral _________   NU MR UL

Obtuse Angle ____   OB 22 NGL
Pi R2 _______   PI R SQD
Genius (> 3 sd) _   PLUS 3 STD
Property ________   PROP R TY

Prime Number ____   PRIM NBR
Quotient ________   QUO SHNT
Quartile ________   COR TILE
Radical _________   RAD I KL

Real Number _____   REAL NBR
Right Angle _____   RITE NGL
Square Root _____   SQR RT
Sum Total _______   SUM TOTL

Tangent _________   TAN MAN
Validity ________   V LID I T
Exponent ________   X PO NENT
Formal Proof ____   4 ML PRUF




Send any comments or questions to: David Pleacher