In English, we call the subject of mathematics maths (in British English) or math (in American English). Both are shortened forms of "mathematics."
Why the Difference? "Maths" vs. "Math"
The difference stems from the grammatical treatment of "mathematics."
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British English: Treats "mathematics" as a plural noun, reflecting the multiple branches of the subject (algebra, geometry, calculus, etc.). Therefore, the abbreviation retains the plural "s," becoming "maths." This is analogous to other abbreviations like "subs" for "subscriptions."
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American English: Treats "mathematics" as a singular noun and thus shortens it to "math."
Several online sources support this explanation. For example, a Reddit thread (https://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/27inrd/why_do_brits_call_it_maths_while_americans_just/) explains that "Mathematics behaves grammatically like a plural form, so the shortening used in English is maths." The Guardian also notes that "Math is an abbreviation of mathematics, which is a count noun in British English because there are different types of maths (geometry, algebra, calculus, etc.)" (https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-62388,00.html). Other sources reiterate that the usage of "maths" versus "math" is primarily a difference in regional spelling conventions.
In summary, both "maths" and "math" are acceptable and commonly used abbreviations for "mathematics," reflecting differing grammatical interpretations across English dialects.
