1. The symbol $n$ is commonly used in mathematics to represent an integer, often a natural number (1, 2, 3, ...). 2. It is frequently used as an index, a count, or a variable representing the number of terms, elements, or iterations in a sequence, sum, or series. 3. For example, in summation notation $\sum_{i=1}^n a_i$, $n$ represents the total number of terms being summed. 4. In sequences, $n$ often denotes the position of a term, such as $a_n$ being the $n$th term. 5. The exact meaning of $n$ depends on the context of the problem, but it generally stands for a whole number used to count or index.