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Complete Numeric Sets Notes

The document discusses numeric sets, including natural numbers, integers, rational numbers, and irrational numbers, culminating in the set of real numbers. It explains the properties and operations of these sets, as well as intervals on the real number line and exponentiation rules. Additionally, it provides a suggested bibliography for further reading.

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18 views3 pages

Complete Numeric Sets Notes

The document discusses numeric sets, including natural numbers, integers, rational numbers, and irrational numbers, culminating in the set of real numbers. It explains the properties and operations of these sets, as well as intervals on the real number line and exponentiation rules. Additionally, it provides a suggested bibliography for further reading.

Uploaded by

heorhe
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Theoretical Notes

NUMERIC SETS
Authors: Elsa Díaz, Anabella Marchesi, Analía Patrignani, Daniela Santoyo

Updated (Year 2022): Elsa Díaz, Daniela Santoyo

Contents
1. Numeric Sets

2. Intervals on the Real Number Line

3. Operations and Properties of Real Numbers

4. Exponentiation

5. Suggested Bibliography

1. Numeric Sets
Why Are Real Numbers Important?

One of the most curious facts in history is that, at some point, numbers did not exist. They
were invented to count things, including money. Given this need and many others, numbers
began to be introduced into the world.

The set of natural numbers is represented as: ℕ = {1, 2, 3, ...}

In this set, addition and multiplication are always defined because performing these
operations on natural numbers always results in another natural number. That is, these
operations are closed in ℕ.

However, this is not the case for subtraction and division, as subtracting or dividing two
natural numbers does not necessarily result in a natural number. For example:

3 - 5 = -2 ∉ ℕ

2 ÷ 5 = 0.4 ∉ ℕ

If we extend the set of natural numbers to include zero and the opposites of natural
numbers, we obtain the set of integers, denoted as: ℤ = { ..., -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ... }

Within this set, addition, multiplication, and subtraction are closed operations. However,
division is not necessarily closed, as seen in the example:

-8 ÷ 4 = -2 ∈ ℤ
2 ÷ 5 = 0.4 ∉ ℤ

The number 0.4 belongs to the set of rational numbers, represented by ℚ, defined as:

ℚ = { a/b | a ∈ ℤ, b ∈ ℤ \ {0} }

Rational numbers emerged to express non-exact divisions and, along with the four basic
operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), form a closed set. Rational
numbers also have decimal expressions that are either finite or periodic.

Examples:

3/4 = 0.75

5/3 = 1.6̅

So far, we have explored natural, integer, and rational numbers. But do numbers exist
whose decimal expansions have infinitely many non-repeating digits? Yes, they are called
irrational numbers, denoted by ℑ. Examples include:

π = 3.14159265...

√2 = 1.41421356...

The set of real numbers, denoted by ℝ, consists of both rational and irrational numbers. It is
a dense set, meaning that between any two real numbers, there are infinitely many real
numbers.

2. Intervals on the Real Number Line


An interval is a subset of ℝ that contains all numbers between two endpoints. Some
common types include:

Closed Interval: [a, b] = { x ∈ ℝ | a ≤ x ≤ b }

Open Interval: (a, b) = { x ∈ ℝ | a < x < b }

Half-Open Intervals:

(a, b] is open on the left and closed on the right.

[a, b) is closed on the left and open on the right.

Extended intervals include:

(-∞, b]

(-∞, b)

[a, +∞)
(a, +∞)

3. Operations and Properties of Real Numbers


Basic Properties:

Commutative: a + b = b + a; a × b = b × a

Associative: (a + b) + c = a + (b + c); (a × b) × c = a × (b × c)

Distributive: a × (b + c) = a × b + a × c

4. Exponentiation
If a is a real number and n is a natural number, then the nth power of a is:

aⁿ = a × a × ... × a (n factors)

Properties of exponents:

a⁰ = 1 if a ≠ 0

aᵐ × aⁿ = aᵐ⁺ⁿ

aᵐ ÷ aⁿ = aᵐ⁻ⁿ

(aᵐ)ⁿ = aᵐⁿ

(ab)ⁿ = aⁿ bⁿ

(a/b)ⁿ = aⁿ/bⁿ if b ≠ 0

a⁻ⁿ = 1/aⁿ

5. Suggested Bibliography
HAEUSSLER, E., et al. Mathematics for Administration and Economics. 13th ed. Pearson
Education, 2015.

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