Symbol Coding — Definition

Definition

Symbol coding replaces ordinary signs, words or relationships with an explicitly defined notation. Solving the problem means translating that notation accurately and then applying the relevant mathematical or logical rules.

A symbol may stand for an arithmetic operation, a comparison or a relationship between people; its familiar appearance does not determine its meaning in the exercise. Direction and order matter when a relation is not symmetric.

The safest method is to write a small decoding key, translate the expression without changing its structure and check whether the supplied rules determine a unique conclusion.