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Rational Numbers Notes

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Rational Numbers Notes

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daisyabonita
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Chapter 6

The Rational Numbers


INTRODUCTION
The system of integers has an obvious defect in that, given integers and
the equation may or may not have a solution. For example, has the
solution but has no solution. This defect is remedied by adjoining to the
integers additional numbers (common fractions) to form the system of
The construction here is, in the main, that used in Chapter 4.
6.1 THE RATIONAL NUMBERS
We begin with the set of ordered pairs

and define the binary relation on all by


if and only if

(Note carefully that 0 may appear as first component but never as second component in any .)
Now is an equivalence relation (prove it ) and thus partitions into a set of equivalence classes

where,

DEFINITION 6.1: The equivalence classes of will be called the set of rational numbers. In the
following sections we will observe that is isomorphic to the system as we know it.
6.2 ADDITION AND MULTIPLICATION
DEFINITION 6.2: Addition and multiplication on will be defined respectively by
(i) and
(ii)

These operations, being defined in terms of well-defined operations on integers, are (see
Problem 6.1) themselves well-defined.
We now define two special rational numbers.
DEFINITION 6.3: Define zero, one, additive inverse, and multiplicative inverse on by the following:

and the inverses


(additive :)
(multiplicative :) when

By paralleling the procedures in Chapter 4, it is easily shown that addition and multiplication obey the laws
as stated for integers.
A property of , but not of , is

: For every there exists a multiplicative inverse such that .

By Theorem IV, Chapter 2, the inverses defined in are unique.


In Problem 6.2 , we prove.

Theorem I. If x and y are non-zero elements of then .


6.3 SUBTRACTION AND DIVISION
DEFINITION 6.4: Subtraction and division are defined on by
(iii) for all
and
(iv) for all
respectively.
These operations are neither associative now commutative (prove this). However, as
on , multiplication is distributive with respect to subtraction.
6.4
REPLACEMENT
The mapping

is an isomorphism of a certain subset of onto the set of integers. We may then,


whenever more convenient, replace the subset by . To complete the identification
of with , we have merely to replace
by
and, in particular, by .
6.5
ORDER AND RELATIONS
DEFINITION 6.5: An element , i.e., , is called positive if and only if
The subset of all positive elements of will be denoted by and the corresponding subset of by .

DEFINITION 6.6: An element , i.e., , is called negative if and only if


Since, by the Trichotomy Law of Chapter 4, either , , or , it follows that each element of
The order relations < and > on are defined as follows:
For each
if and only if
if and only if
These relations are transitive but neither reflexive nor symmetric.
also satisfies

The Trichotomy Law :


If , one and only of
(a) (b) (a)
holds.
6.6
REDUCTION TO LOWEST TERMS
Consider any arbitrary with . Let the (positive) greatest common divisor of and m be d and write , .
Since , it follows that ] , i.e., . Thus, any rational number can be written uniquely in the form where and
b are relatively prime integers. Whenever has been replaced by , we shall say that has been reduced to
lowest terms. Hereafter, any arbitrary rational number introduced in any discussion is to be assumed
reduced to lowest terms.
In Problem 6.3, we prove:
- Theorem II. If x and y are positive rationals with , then .
In Problem 6.4 and 6.5, we prove:
- The Density Property. If x and y , with , are two rational numbers, there exists rational number
such that ; and
- The Archimedean Property. . If x and y are positive rational numbers, there exists a positive such that
6.7
DECIMAL REPRESENTATION
Consider the positive rational number in which . Now

and

Since and, hence, , it follows that . If , then ) , , and . We write the decimal representation of . If
, we have
In which . If , then so that and the decimal representation of is ; if , the decimal
representation of is the repeating decimal …; if , , we repeat the process.
Now the distinct remainders are elements of the set {0,1,2,3,…, of residues modulo so
that, in the extreme case, must be identical with some one of , say , and the decimal
representation of is the repeating decimal.
…
Thus, every rational number can be expressed as either a terminating or a repeating decimal.
EXAMPLE 1:
(a) 5/4 = 1.25
(b) 3/8 = 0.375
(c) For 11/6 , we find

11 = 1 6 + 5; ,
10 5 = 8 6 + 2; ,
10 2 = 3 6 + 2; ,
and 11/6 = 1.833333….

(d) For 25/7, we find


25 = 3 7 + 4; ,
10 4 = 5 7 + 5; ,
10 = 7 7 + 1; ,
10 = 1 7 + 3; ,
10 = 4 7 + 2; ,
10 = 2 7 + 6; ,
10 = 8 7 + 4; ,
and 25/7 = 3.571428571428….
Conversely, it is clear that every terminating decimal is a rational number. For example,
0.17 = 17/100 and 0.175 = 175/1000 = 7/40.
In Problem 6.6, we prove
Theorem III. Every repeating decimal is a rational number.
The proof makes use of two preliminary theorems:
(i) Every repeating decimal may be written as the sum of an infinite geometric progression.
(ii) The sum of an infinite geometric progression whose common ratio satisfies is a finite
number.
SOLVED PROBLEMS
6.1 Show that addition and multiplication on are well defined.
Let and . Then and , so that and . Now

and addition is well defined.


Also

and multiplication is well defined.

6.2 Prove: If are non-zero rational numbers then .

Let .
6.3
.

6.4

Then
6.5

6.6 Prove: Every repeating decimal represents a rational number.


Consider the repeating decimal

Thus, the repeating decimal, being the sum of two rational numbers, is a rational number.
6.7

27/32 = 3(1/4) + 3/32 = 3(1/4) + 1(1/ 1/32 = 3(1/4) + 1(1/ + 2(1/. The required representation is
0.312.

1/3 = 1(1/5) + 2/15 = 1(1/5) + 1(1/ + 3(1/ + 1/75


= 1(1/5) + 3(1/ + 1(1/ + 2/375
= 1(1/5) + 3(1/ + 1(1/ + 3(1/ + 1/1875

The required representation is 0.131313….

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