Math

Well, this will take awhile, if I understand what you want, but I'm having my morning coffee so what the heck …

1. zero point zero nine OR nine hundredths

2. three x squared   [distinguished from "three x quantity squared" = (3x) ²]

3. one half OR one over two

4. one and eight ninths   [yes, mixed numbers are hard to write clearly without special formatting, like using a vinculum and no space after the 1]

5. radical three OR the square root of three

6. four is less than six   [although inequalities like this are rarely spoken, this is how it would be "read"]

7. x is less than or equal to y   [same comment as above]

8. the limit of two x minus three as x approaches two OR the limit, as x approaches two, of the function two x minus three

Better than I could have done.   I'll just add that "1.08" can be read "one point zero eight" or, less formally, "one point oh eight".   And sometimes, especially when you're reading a lot of such formulae, your examples #6 and #7 can optionally drop the "is"; "6>4" can be read "six is greater than four" or "six greater than four".

Good point Bob. I thought about including naught as another possible reading of #1, but then decided that was more a British English variation. Rarely hear it here in the States. But I do hear oh for zero frequently. I wonder if that's because oh is a contraction of zero, or a literal alternate reading of the symbol?

Which brings up a perennial gripe of mine … why do people who design serial numbers even use that ambiguous symbol? Sure, you'll sometimes see the zero written with a slash through it to distinguish it from the letter O, but not consistently. Same goes for the letter L and numeral 1 (in certain fonts).

Given that most serial numbers are so many digits long, you'd think that excluding those letter/numerals would cause no problem. And it would save people who are trying to register their product online a lot of trial and error. I was trying to register a tape drive some years back with Iomega, and the serial number just wouldn't take. When I called customer service she said "Well, that first one has to be the letter O because the first three characters are always letters." Of course, it was immediately followed by the numeral zero, which looked identical in that font.

Regarding #6 and #7, dropping the is might be acceptable. Depending on context, six greater than four could be interpreted as ten.

That's what I wanted. Thanks.