Number Systems

Natural numbers
The counting numbers 1, 2, 3 … are called natural numbers. The set of natural
numbers is denoted by N.
N = {1, 2, 3, …}

Whole numbers
If we include zero to the set of natural numbers, then we get the set of whole numbers.
The set of whole numbers is denoted by W.
W = {0, 1, 2, …}

Integers
The collection of numbers … –3, –2, –1, 0, 1, 2, 3 … is called integers. This
collection is denoted by Z, or I.
Z = {…, –3, –2, –1, 0, 1, 2, 3, …}

Rational numbers
p
Rational numbers are those which can be expressed in the form , where p, q are
q
integers and q  0.
1 3 6
Example: , , , etc.
2 4 9
Note:
12 12  3 4
1.   , where the HCF of 4 and 5 is 1
15 15  3 5
12 4
 and are equivalent rational numbers (or fractions)
15 5
a
Thus, every rational number ‘x ’can be expressed as x  , where a, b are integers
b
such that the HCF of a and b is 1 and b  0.

2. Every natural number is a rational number.

3. Every whole number is a rational number.
w
[Since every whole number w can be expressed as ].
1
4. Every integer is a rational number.
There are infinitely many rational numbers between any two given rational numbers.

Example:
 3 5
Find 5 rational numbers between and .
8 12

Solution:
3 3 3 9 96 54
   
8 8  3 24 24  6 144
5 5  2 10 10  6 60
   
12 12  2 24 24  6 144

It can be observed that:

54 55 56 57 58 59 60
     
144 144 144 144 144 144 144
3 55 7 19 29 59 5
      
8 144 18 48 72 144 12
55 7 19 29 59 3 5
Thus, , , , and are 5 rational numbers between and .
144 18 48 72 144 8 12

Irrational Numbers
p
Irrational numbers are those which cannot be expressed in the form , where p, q
q
are integers and q  0.
Example:
π, 2, 7, 14, 0.0202202220...
 There are infinitely many irrational numbers.
22
Note:  = 3.141592… is irrational. Its approximate value is assumed as or as
7
3.14, both of which are rational.

Real Numbers
The collection of all rational numbers and irrational numbers is called real numbers.
So, a real number is either rational or irrational.
Note: Every real number can be represented by a unique point on the number line
(and vice versa).
So, the number line is also called the real number line.

Example:
Locate 6 on the number line.

Solution:
It is seen that:

 5
2
6  12
To locate 6 on the number line, we first need to construct a length of 5 .
5  22  1

By Pythagoras Theorem:
OB2  OA 2  AB2  22  12  4  1  5
 OB  5

Steps:
(a) Mark O at 0 and A at 2 on the number line, and then draw AB of unit length
perpendicular to OA. Then, by Pythagoras Theorem, OB  5
(b) Construct BD of unit length perpendicular to OB. Thus, by Pythagoras

 
2
Theorem, OD  5  12  6
(c) Using a compass with centre O and radius OD, draw an arc intersecting the
number line at point P.
Thus, P corresponds to the number 6 .

Real numbers and their decimal expansions:

The decimal expansion of a rational number is either terminating or non-terminating
recurring (repeating). Moreover, a number whose decimal expansion is terminating
or non-terminating repeating is rational.

Example:
3
 1.5  Terminating 
2
15
 1.875  Terminating 
8
4
 1.333.......  1.3  Non-terminating recurring 
3
24
 1.846153846153  1.846153  Non-terminating recurring 
13
Example:
p
Show that 1.23434 …. can be written in the form , where p and q are integers
q
and q  0.
Solution:
Let x  1.23434.....  1.234 1
Here, two digits are repeating.
Multiplying (1) by 100, we get:
100x = 123.43434………
=122.2 + 1.23434 …….. (2)
Subtracting (1) from (2), we get:
99 x  122.2
122.2 1222
x 
99 990
611

495
611
Thus, 1.234  .
495

The decimal expansion of an irrational number is non-terminating non-recurring.

Moreover, a number whose decimal expansion is non-terminating non- recurring is
irrational.

Example:
2.645751311064……. is an irrational number

Representation of real numbers on the number line

Example: Visualize 3.32 on the number line, upto 4 decimal places.

Solution:
3.32  3.3232......
 3.3232  approximate upto 4 decimal place 
Now, it is seen that 3 < 3.3232 < 4. Divide the gap between 3 and 4 on the number
line into 10 equal parts and locate 3.3232 between 3.3 and 3.4 [as 3.3 < 3.3232 <
3.4]. To locate the given number between 3.3 and 3.4 more accurately, we divide
this gap into 10 equal parts. It is seen that 3.32 < 3.3232 < 3.33.
We continue the same procedure by dividing the gap between 3.32 and 3.33 into 10
equal parts.
It is seen that 3.323 < 3.3232 < 3.324.
Now, by dividing the gap between 3.323 and 3.324 into 10 equal parts, we can
locate 3.3232.
Operation on real numbers
Some facts
(a) The sum or difference of a rational number and an irrational number is always
irrational.
(b) The product or quotient of a non-zero rational number with an irrational
number is always irrational.
(c) If we add, subtract, multiply or divide two irrational numbers, then the result
may be rational or irrational.
Illustrations
2  3 is irrational
2  2  0 is rational
3  5  15 is irrational
2  2  2 is rational

6
 3 is irrational
2
2
 1 is rational
2

Identities
If a and b are positive real numbers, then
(a) ab  a b

a a
(b) 
b b
(c)  a b  
a  b  a  b2

 
(d) a  b a  b  a 2  b 
(e)  a b  
c  d  ac  ad  bc  bd

 
2
(f) a b  a  2 ab  b

a b
The denominator of can be rationalised by multiplying both the
x y
numerator and the denominator by x  y , where a, b, x, y are integers.

a b
The denominator of can be rationalised by multiplying both the
c d
numerator and the denominator by c  d , where a, b, c, d are integers.

Laws of exponents

(a) a p .a q  a p  q

(b)  a p   a pq
q

ap
(c)  a p q
aq

(d)  ab   a pb p , where a > 0 is a real number and p, q are rational numbers.

p

Note:
1
x
a  ax