mathem

Mathem is a rarely used abbreviation for the field of mathematics. It is not a formal term in the discipline, but rather a shorthand that has appeared in historical documents, early printings, and cataloging records where space or typographic conventions encouraged compact labels. In modern prose and in most style guides, mathematics, math, or maths are the standard forms.

Origin and usage. The full word mathematics derives from Greek mathema, meaning a “subject of instruction,” and entered Latin and then European scholarly usage. The truncated form “mathem” would have been a practical contraction in contexts such as bibliographies, library catalogs, or around short annotations on notes. Today such abbreviations are infrequent and may be understood only within a specific historical or archival setting.

Scope. Mathematics studies abstract and applied aspects of quantity, structure, space, and change. Its core subfields include algebra, analysis, geometry, topology, number theory, statistics, and mathematical logic, along with applied branches such as numerical analysis and mathematical physics. The term can also denote the broader intellectual tradition of mathematical reasoning and problem solving.

Notes and cautions. Because “mathem” is not a standard contemporary term, readers should interpret it as a historical or contextual abbreviation rather than a distinct field designation. In current academic and formal writing, the full term mathematics or concise abbreviations like math or maths are preferred.

See also. Mathematics, Math, Maths, Mathematical notation, Library cataloging.