Scribd
Upload
15 views3 pages

Numbers and Sets

Uploaded by

dougmadas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
15 views3 pages

Numbers and Sets

Uploaded by

dougmadas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Numbers and Sets (pA2—A4)

1 Numbers
Integers: Z
· · · , −3, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3, · · ·

Rational numbers: Q
Rational numbers are ratios of integers: a rational number r can be written
as follows
m
r = , where m and n 6= 0 are integers
n
Here are few examples of rational numbers
−10 1 2015 46712
, , 2015 = , 0.46712 =
4 −2 1 100000

Real numbers: R
There are numbers that cannot be expressed as a ratio of integers, these are
called irrational numbers. Examples
√ √
2, 10, π.

Rational and irrational numbers are simply called real numbers.

1.1 Decimal representation


The decimal representation of a rational number is repeating. For example
2
= 0.66666 · · ·
3
2
The number 6 is repeating and we write 3 = 0.6̄.

29
= 0.176829268292 · · · = 0.1768292
164
Remark: Decimal representation of a real number is not unique

1 = 1.0̄ = 0.9̄.

1
1.2 Real line
The real numbers are associated to points on a horizontal line called the real
line. For a given point P on the line the real number corresponding to a point
P is called the coordinate of P . The point with coordinate 0 is called the
origin.
√
−π −2 −1 0 1 2 2
-

Figure 1: Real line

1.3 Inequalities
We say that a is greater than b and we write a > b if a − b is a positive number.
Similarly, we say that a is less than b (a > b) if a − b is a negative number. The
notations ≥ and ≤ correspond to greater or equal and less or equal respectively.
For example,
√
−1 < 2, 4 > π, 2 ≤ 4, −3 ≥ −2015

2 Sets
Notations:
1. Set element: We write a ∈ S if an element a belongs to the set S, and
b∈/ S if the element b does not belong to S. For example
3 √
− ∈ Q, 7 ∈
/ Q.
5

2. Subset: We write A ⊂ B or B ⊃ A if A is a subset of B. Example

Z⊂Q⊂R

3. Union of sets: The set A ∪ B consists of elements that are in A or in T .


4. Intersection of sets: The set A ∩ B consists of elements that are in both
A and T .

Set-builder
Set can be represented by listing its elements, for example

A = {−6, −4, −2, 0, 2},

or one can use a set-builder notation

A = {x|x is an even integer and − 6 ≤ x < 3}

2
3 Intervals
Open interval
Given two real numbers a and b such that a < b we can define the open interval
(a, b) as follows
(a, b) = {x|a < x < b}

Closed interval
[a, b] = {x|a ≤ x ≤ b}

Other intervals

[a, b) = {x|a ≤ x < b}


(a, b] = {x|a < x ≤ b}
[a, ∞) = {x|a ≤ x}
(a, ∞) = {x|a < x}
( − ∞, b] = {x|x ≤ b}
( − ∞, b) = {x|x < b}
( − ∞, ∞) = R

Home Work:
1. Determine the rational numbers:
√
2 −2 12
, , √
π 10 + 34 3

2. True or False:
1
− ∈
/ (−0.25, 10]
4
√
3 ∈ (−1, 5) ∩ (3, ∞)

1
(−1, ) ⊂ Q.
2

You might also like