<ul>
<li><p>「設」is short for <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%81%87%E8%A8%AD#Chinese" rel="noreferrer">假設</a> (<strong>Suppose that...</strong>)</p>
</li>
<li><p>「若」means <strong>if</strong></p>
</li>
<li><p>「則稱」, literally <strong>then (it is) called</strong>, should just be taken as <strong>then</strong>.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>設A是一個m×s矩陣，若A的任一行是集{1,...,n}的一個s-排列，任一列是集{1,...,n}的一個m-排列，則稱A是一個m×s拉丁矩。</p>
<p>「Suppose that」<em><strong>A</strong></em> is an <em>m</em> by <em>s</em> matrix.「If」every row of <em><strong>A</strong></em> is an <em>s</em>-permutation of {1, ..., <em>n</em>} and every column is an <em>m</em>-permutation of {1, ..., <em>n</em>},「then」<em><strong>A</strong></em> is an <em>m</em> by <em>s</em> Latin rectangle.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-05T11:12:38.033Z
2018-07-05T11:12:38.033Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
dROOOze
<p>From a Baidu page about <a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%8B%89%E4%B8%81%E7%9F%A9" rel="nofollow noreferrer">拉丁矩</a> (Latin rectangles, a topic in combinatorial mathematics, and one of my research topics), we have the following sentence (listed as 定义1; I trim back some of the mathematics notation):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>设A是</strong>一个m×s矩阵，<strong>若A的</strong>任一行是集{1,...,n}的一个s-排列，任一列是集{1,...,n}的一个m-排列，<strong>则称A是</strong>一个m×s拉丁矩。  </p>
</blockquote>

<p>I translate this to something like:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>If A is an m×s matrix, such that every row is an s-permutation of {1,...,n} and every column is an m-permutation of {1,...,n}, then A is a Latin rectangle.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I'm confused about the grammar here, and in particular, the use of (what seems to be) the following:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>设A是[a mathematical object], 若A的[conditions], 则称A是[a special type of that mathematical object].</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I'm seeking a better overall idea of how this structure works, e.g., how frequently this is used, other examples, and what <a href="http://dict.cn/%E8%AE%BE" rel="nofollow noreferrer">设</a>, <a href="http://dict.cn/%E8%8B%A5" rel="nofollow noreferrer">若</a>, <a href="http://dict.cn/%E8%8B%A5" rel="nofollow noreferrer">则</a> and <a href="http://dict.cn/%E7%A7%B0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">称</a> are doing in the sentence.</p>

<p><strong>Question</strong>: How does 设A是..., 若A的..., 则称A是... work for mathematical definitions?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-05T10:31:02.890Z
see dictionaries, 设suppose, 若if, supposing, assuming, 则 then, 称 (call, name)is called, for more examples, find English original and Chinese translation of mathematical textbooks (available at university libraries)
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-05T10:35:04.713Z
But I think there's more materials in English about Latin Squares hahaha. P.S. I was taught the term "Latin Square" 拉丁方 when I was learning discrete mathematics last year. : )
Toosky Hierot
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-05T10:37:50.823Z
Oh I see the difference: A latin square has to be a square while a latin rectangle doesn't.
Toosky Hierot
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-05T10:45:18.340Z
@神秘德里克 Yeah, I find that the original sentence in the given link is actually “则称A是”.
Toosky Hierot
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-05T10:49:21.640Z
There's some copy/paste errors with the mathematics; I hope I fixed them now.  (It's "every row" and "every column" mathematically; "any row" and "any column" would be incorrect.)
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-05T11:20:22.150Z
Mathematics and daily conversation are not so separate for me (:.  Also, I'm preparing to give my first (mathematics) presentation in Chinese, at [a conference](http://ahuweb.ahu.cn/math/index.asp) in August, which I hope won't be a total disaster.
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-05T11:36:31.137Z
@Becky李蓓 WOW, I find one of the lecturers a professor of my university!
Toosky Hierot
<grammar>
How does 设A是..., 若A的..., 则称A是... work for mathematical definitions?
# How does 设A是..., 若A的..., 则称A是... work for mathematical definitions?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-07-05)

From a Baidu page about [拉丁矩](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%8B%89%E4%B8%81%E7%9F%A9) (Latin rectangles, a topic in combinatorial mathematics, and one of my research topics), we have the following sentence (listed as 定义1; I trim back some of the mathematics notation):

> **设A是**一个m×s矩阵，**若A的**任一行是集{1,...,n}的一个s-排列，任一列是集{1,...,n}的一个m-排列，**则称A是**一个m×s拉丁矩。

I translate this to something like:

> If A is an m×s matrix, such that every row is an s-permutation of {1,...,n} and every column is an m-permutation of {1,...,n}, then A is a Latin rectangle.

I'm confused about the grammar here, and in particular, the use of (what seems to be) the following:

> 设A是[a mathematical object], 若A的[conditions], 则称A是[a special type of that mathematical object].

I'm seeking a better overall idea of how this structure works, e.g., how frequently this is used, other examples, and what [设](http://dict.cn/%E8%AE%BE), [若](http://dict.cn/%E8%8B%A5), [则](http://dict.cn/%E8%8B%A5) and [称](http://dict.cn/%E7%A7%B0) are doing in the sentence.

**Question**: How does 设A是..., 若A的..., 则称A是... work for mathematical definitions?

**Tags:** grammar

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: see dictionaries, 设suppose, 若if, supposing, assuming, 则 then, 称 (call, name)is called, for more examples, find English original and Chinese translation of mathematical textbooks (available at university libraries)  
> **username_2**: But I think there's more materials in English about Latin Squares hahaha. P.S. I was taught the term "Latin Square" 拉丁方 when I was learning discrete mathematics last year. : )  
> **username_2**: Oh I see the difference: A latin square has to be a square while a latin rectangle doesn't.  
> **username_2**: @神秘德里克 Yeah, I find that the original sentence in the given link is actually “则称A是”.  
> **username_0**: There's some copy/paste errors with the mathematics; I hope I fixed them now.  (It's "every row" and "every column" mathematically; "any row" and "any column" would be incorrect.)  
> **username_0**: Mathematics and daily conversation are not so separate for me (:.  Also, I'm preparing to give my first (mathematics) presentation in Chinese, at [a conference](http://ahuweb.ahu.cn/math/index.asp) in August, which I hope won't be a total disaster.  
> **username_2**: @Becky李蓓 WOW, I find one of the lecturers a professor of my university!  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-07-05. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

* 「設」is short for [假設](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%81%87%E8%A8%AD#Chinese) (**Suppose that...**)
* 「若」means **if**
* 「則稱」, literally **then (it is) called**, should just be taken as **then**.

> 設A是一個m×s矩陣，若A的任一行是集{1,...,n}的一個s-排列，任一列是集{1,...,n}的一個m-排列，則稱A是一個m×s拉丁矩。
>
> 「Suppose that」***A*** is an *m* by *s* matrix.「If」every row of ***A*** is an *s*-permutation of {1, ..., *n*} and every column is an *m*-permutation of {1, ..., *n*},「then」***A*** is an *m* by *s* Latin rectangle.


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