Math Mnemonics Archive

A living collection of math mnemonics, intuitions, and memory tricks —
so they don’t get rediscovered and lost again.

∧ / ∨ Minimum & Maximum Mnemonic

In analysis and probability:

\[a \wedge b = \min(a,b), \qquad \qquad a \vee b = \max(a,b)\]

A visual mnemonic:

∨ = max — looks like a down-arrow ↓ landing on the highest point
arrow comes down from above → stops at the top → max
∧ = min — looks like an up-arrow ↑ rising to the lowest point
arrow rises from below → stops at the bottom → min