Real Number System
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JenniferReal Number System
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Jennifer2.
Real Number System
I. The Real Number Line and Real Number System
A. Real Number Line One good way to get a picture of sets of numbers is to
use a diagram called the number
line
B. Real Number System
1.Natural numbers (N)
- the most fundamental set of numbers
- the numbers we used for counting, thus N is also called
Counting numbers
- starts with 1 then proceeds to infinity
- N = {1, 2, 3, ...}
2.Whole numbers ( ) - the set of natural numbers with 0 - = {0, 1, 2, 3, ...}
3.Integers (Z, from the German term zahlen)
- obtained if we include the negatives of the natural numbers
with
- thus, negative integers + 0 + positive integers
- Z = {..., 3, 2, 1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ...}
- note: referring to the real number line, integers are still
inadequate if we are to measure continuous variables like length
and weight, since Z is spaced too far apart and in uniform lengths
to give sufficient precisions
4.Rational numbers (Q, from the term quotient of integers)
- numbers that represent ratios or quotients of integers
a
- expressed in the fraction form: , where a and b are
b
integers and b = 0
- note: numbers cannot be divided by 0
a
- aside from the form of a fraction, , rational numbers can
b
also be written in its decimal form
- to obtain the decimal form, we divide a by b ba
- note: all rational numbers in their decimal forms are either:
a. terminating; e.g.: 12 = 0.5; 34 = 0.75; 132 = 0.03125
b. non-terminating but repeating; e.g.: 23 =0.66; 2599 = 0.25;
4177 4.2191; 127 = 1.714285;
990 =
- N.B.: however, note that rational numbers are still not
sufficient to measure all lengths, as discovered by the ancient
Greeks several centuries B.C. 3
- examples of irrational numbers: , 3, 7, e
- note: in their decimal form, irrational numbers are non-
terminating and non- repeating
