Recurring symbols are signs that are used to represent an action of mathematical objects or their connection, or other symbols in a formula.
There are different ways of typing these characters depending on the operating system you are using. You’ll learn each of these techniques in no time.
This guide will show you how to type math symbols by using keyboard shortcuts and other amazing methods. Let’s get started.
What is a Recurring Symbol?
A recurrent symbol is a symbol or motif that appears repeatedly in a literary work of art or other form of creative expression. It is a visual or thematic element that occurs several times, often carrying significant meaning or representing a particular idea or concept.
Recurring symbols can take various forms, such as objects, images, colors, animals, numbers, or even specific words or phrases. These symbols are often used to emphasize certain themes or ideas, create coherence within the work and engage the audience on a deeper level.
When working with mathematical equations or expressing mathematical concepts, it’s essential to know how to type specific math symbols on your keyboard. Whether you’re a student, teacher, or someone who frequently works with mathematical notation, having the ability to input these symbols accurately is essential.
How to Type Recurring Symbol on Keyboard?
Math symbols can range from basic arithmetic operators like plus (+) and minus (-) to more complex symbols like integrals (∫), Greek letters (α, β, γ), and mathematical notations (≥, ≤, ∞). Depending on your operating system and keyboard layout, there are various methods you can use to type these symbols.
Using Alt Code to Type Math Symbols (Windows)
These symbols should be typed while pressing the Alt key.
| Math Symbol Description | Math Symbols | Math Alt Codes |
| Plus Sign | + | Alt+43 |
| Minus Sign | – | Alt+45 |
| Multiplication Sign | × | Alt+ 0215 |
| Divide by | ÷ | Alt + 0247 |
| Percentage Sign | % | Alt + 37 |
| Per mille (per thousand) | ‰ | Alt + 0137 |
| Plus or Minus | ± | Alt + 241 |
| Exactly Identical | ≡ | Alt + 240 |
| Equals | = | Alt + 61 |
| Approximately equal | ≈ | Alt + 247 |
| Less Than | < | Alt + 60 |
| Greater Than | > | Alt + 62 |
| Greater than or equal | ≥ | Alt + 242 |
| Less than or equal | ≤ | Alt + 243 |
| Square Root | √ | Alt + 251 |
| Summation | ∑ | 228 |
| Open Bracket | ( | Alt + 40 |
| Close Bracket | ) | Alt + 41 |
| Fraction Slash | / | Alt + 47 |
| Quarter | ¼ | Alt + 0188 |
| Half | ½ | Alt + 0189 |
| Three quarters | ¾ | Alt + 0190 |
| Decimal Point | . | Alt + 46 |
| Power n | ⁿ | Alt + 252 |
| To the power of 1 | ¹ | Alt + 0185 |
| Squared | ² | Alt + 0178 |
| cubed | ³ | Alt + 0179 |
| Pi | π | Alt + 227 |
| Degree sign | ° | Alt + 248 |
Note: All these codes work in MS Word only.
Using the alt codes above, you can type any of these Mathematical Signs.
- Open the document.
- Turn on the Num Lock key.
- Enter the mathematical sign’s alt code by pressing the Alt key on your numeric keypad. Math symbols’ alt codes are listed above.
Type Mathematical Symbols on Mac (Shortcut)
Keyboard Viewer is one of the easiest ways to get math symbols on Mac. It is a tool that displays an on-screen keyboard. Which can help to get your desired math symbols and characters.
The Keyboard Viewer can be accessed by following these steps for Mac:
- Select Apple Icon from the menu bar.
- Choose System Preference.
- Select the Keyboard tab.
- Select Show Keyboard, Emoji, & Symbol Viewers in the menu bar.
To type math symbols by using the Keyboard Viewer:
- Select the Keyboard Viewer icon.
- Choose Show Character Viewer.
- Select the Math Symbols category.
- Double-click any math symbol you want for your document.
You can obtain math symbols for Mac by following these steps.
Insert Mathematical Symbols in Word
In MS Word Math Symbols can be inserted in two ways in the Alt code method. Insert Symbol Dialog box is the first method and the other method is using the keyboard.
Let’s learn these options.
Using Insert Symbol dialog
- Open Word document
- To insert the symbol put the cursor in a desirable place.
- On the Insert tab, select Symbols > Symbol > More Symbols.
- Select Mathematical Operators from the “Subset:” when the symbol dialog box appears.
- Select your desired Math Symbols and insert them into your document.
- Close the dialog box.
The Insert Symbol dialog box in Word can be used to insert these symbols.
Using keyboard shortcuts for Word
Microsoft Word has its own shortcuts for each of the Math Operators.
| Description | Math Symbol | Shortcut in Word |
| Plus Sign | + | 002B, Alt + X |
| Minus Sign | – | 2212, Alt + X |
| Multiplication Sign | × | 00D7, Alt + X |
| Obelus / Division ign | ÷ | 00F7, Alt + X |
| Percentage Sign | % | 0025, Alt + X |
| Per mille (per thousand) | ‰ | 0089, Alt + X |
| Plus or Minus | ± | 00B1, Alt + X |
| Exactly Identical | ≡ | 2261, Alt + X |
| Equals | = | 003D, Alt + X |
| Not Equal to | ≠ | 2260, Alt + X |
| Approximately equal | ≈ | 2248, Alt + X |
| Less Than | < | 003C, Alt + X |
| Greater Than | > | 003E, Alt + X |
| Greater than or equal | ≥ | 2265, Alt + X |
| Less than or equal | ≤ | 2264, Alt + X |
| Square Root | √ | 221A, Alt + X |
| Degree sign | ° | 00B0, Alt + X |
| Infinity | ∞ | 221E, Alt + X |
| Summation | Σ | 2211, Alt + X |
| Partial Differential | ∂ | 2202, Alt + X |
| Increment | ∆ | 2206, Alt + X |
| N-Ary | ∏ | 220F, Alt + X |
| Right Angle | ∟ | 221F, Alt + X |
Instructions to use these Math Symbols shortcuts:
- Open your MS Word
- Put the curser where you wanna insert the symbol.
- Type the codes in the table above
- Press Ctrl + X on your keyboard.
Any math symbol you need can be typed using these steps.
Insert Mathematical Signs in Excel
To insert Math Signs in Excel:
- Open Excel.
- Select the cell that will contain the character.
- On the Insert tab, select Symbol from the list.
Select Mathematical Operators from the “Subset:” when the symbol dialog box appears.
- Double-click on the symbol to insert it into your Excel document.
Insert Math Characters in PowerPoint
To insert Math Symbols in PowerPoint:
- Open PowerPoint document.
- Choose the slide where you want the character to appear and place the insertion pointer there.
- Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon.
- Click on the Symbols button.
- From the “Subset” drop-down list, select Latin-1 Supplement.
- Select the particular Math Symbol and click Insert.
- Close the dialog.
Conclusion
Most of the time people use the Alt code method because it is easy to use with the keyboard. Also, it is fast to use the keyboard while typing.
For Mac users, it is handy to use keyboard shortcuts. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint all allow you to insert these symbols with a mouse-based approach.
I am a regular user of computer keyboards. For using keyboard face different kinds of problems and also solve it very easily. I love sharing knowledge about keyboards.
