Wednesday, 23 October 2024 3:45 pm
Understood! Let's start with the foundational concepts of number systems. This will cover natural numbers, whole
numbers, integers, rational numbers, irrational numbers, and their properties. Here’s a structured lesson for you:
Lesson 1: Understanding Different Types of Numbers
1. Natural Numbers ( )
• Definition: The set of counting numbers starting from 1.
•
• Properties:
• Closed under Addition: Adding two natural numbers always results in a natural number (e.g., ).
• Closed under Multiplication: Multiplying two natural numbers results in a natural number (e.g., ).
• Not Closed under Subtraction or Division: Subtracting or dividing two natural numbers may not always result in
a natural number (e.g., , which is not a natural number).
2. Whole Numbers ( )
• Definition: The set of natural numbers including 0.
•
• Properties:
• Closed under Addition and Multiplication.
• Includes Zero: Zero is a whole number but not a natural number.
• Not Closed under Subtraction or Division.
3. Integers ( )
• Definition: The set of positive and negative whole numbers, including zero.
•
• Properties:
• Closed under Addition, Subtraction, and Multiplication.
• Not Closed under Division: Dividing integers can result in fractions (e.g., , which is not an integer).
4. Rational Numbers ( )
• Definition: Numbers that can be written as a fraction , where and are integers and .
• Examples: (since )
• Properties:
• Closed under Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division (except division by zero).
• Includes: Integers (since any integer can be written as ).
5. Irrational Numbers
• Definition: Numbers that cannot be written as a simple fraction . Their decimal expansions are non-repeating and
non-terminating.
Examples:
lectures Page 1
• Examples:
• Properties:
• Not closed under basic arithmetic operations. For example:
• is rational (since it equals ).
• is irrational.
• *Complementary to Rational Numbers: Together, rational and irrational numbers form the set of *real
numbers ( ).
6. Real Numbers ( )
• Definition: The set of all rational and irrational numbers.
• (irrational numbers)
• Properties:
• Includes all numbers that can be represented on a number line.
• Closed under Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division (except division by zero).
7. Complex Numbers ( ) (optional for advanced understanding)
• Definition: Numbers that include a real part and an imaginary part, written in the form , where .
• Examples:
• Properties:
• Closed under Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division.
Summary Table:
Number Type Definition Examples Properties
Natural ( ) Counting numbers starting from 1 Closed under
Whole ( ) Natural numbers + 0 Closed under
Integers ( ) Positive/negative numbers + 0 Closed under
Rational ( ) Numbers as Closed under
Irrational Non-repeating, non-terminating decimals Not closed under operations
Real ( ) All rational + irrational numbers Closed under
Exercise:
1. Identify if the following numbers are rational or irrational:
•
•
• (repeating)
• List 3 examples each of natural, whole, and integer numbers.
• Explain why zero is not considered a natural number.
Feel free to ask for further explanations or move on to more advanced topics after completing these basics!
lectures Page 2
