Mathematical English Usage - a Dictionary

by Jerzy Trzeciak

first

1
[see also: original] He was the first to propose a complete theory of triple intersections.

Because N. Wiener is recognized as the first to have constructed such a measure, the measure is often called the Wiener measure.

Let Si be the first of the remaining Sj.

The first two are simpler than the third. [Or: the third one; not: “The first two ones”]

As a first step we shall bound A below.

At first glance, this appears to be a strange definition.

the first and third terms in (5)

the first author = the first-named author

2
 [see also: initially, originally, beginning] First, we prove (2). [Not: “At first”]

We first prove a reduced form of the theorem.

Suppose first that......

His method of proof was to first exhibit a map......

In Lemma 6.1, the independence of F from V is surprising at first.

It might seem at first that the only obstacle is the fact that the group is not compact.

[Note the difference between first and at first: first refers to something that precedes everything else in a series, while at first [= initially] implies a contrast with what happens later.]



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