Grammatical Structures in Formal Mathematical Writing: A Corpus-Based Analysis of Proof Exposition
Author : Dhanshri Sharma and Dr. Manisha N Rathod
Abstract :
Mathematical proofs are hybrid objects, combining formal logic with natural language, but their grammatical structure is not studied empirically. This paper examines a corpus of 1,500 proofs passages based on research articles and advanced textbooks annotated with the type of clause, voice, and discourse markers and analyzed through quantitative techniques. The results indicate that conditional clauses represent 62 percent of the structures in assumption stages but reduce to 18 percent in derivations, whereas declarative clauses represent most of derivations (74 percent) and conclusions (82 percent). Clauses involving passive constructions (64% in derivations 28% in assumptions, and 35% in conclusions) represent systematic backgrounding of agency. Logical connectors are also highly clumped, three elements taking 85 percent of transitions between proofs. This suggests that grammatical options are highly coordinated with logical functions and that writing of proofs is conducted based on a strictly restricted and extremely regularized system of linguistic patterns.
Keywords :
Mathematical Discourse, Corpus Analysis, Proof Exposition, Grammar, Academic Writing.
