The Real Number System

Real numbers consist of all the rational and irrational numbers. The real number system has many subsets: Natural Numbers Whole Numbers Integers

1. Natural numbers are the set of counting numbers. {1, 2, 3,} 2. Whole numbers are the set of numbers that include 0 plus the set of natural numbers. {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,} 3. Integers are the set of whole numbers and their opposites. {,-3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3,}

4. Rational numbers are any numbers that can be expressed in the form of , where a and b are integers, and b 0. They can always be expressed by using terminating decimals or repeating decimals. Terminating decimals are decimals that contain a finite number of digits. Examples: a. 36.8 b. 0.125 c. 4.5 5. Repeating decimals are decimals that contain a infinite number of digits. Examples: a. 0.333 b. 1.9 c. 7.689689 6. Irrational numbers are any numbers that cannot be expressed as . They are expressed as non-terminating, non-repeating decimals; decimals that go on forever without repeating a pattern. Examples of irrational numbers: a. 0.34334333433334 b. 45.86745893 c. (pi) d.

Other Vocabulary Associated with the Real Number System

(ellipsis)continues without end { } (set)a collection of objects or numbers. are notated by using braces { }. Finitehaving bounds; limited Infinitehaving no boundaries or limits Venn diagrama diagram consisting of circles or squares to show relationships of a set of data. Sets

When taking the square root of any number that is not a perfect square, the resulting decimal will be nonterminating and non-repeating. Therefore, those numbers are always irrational.

EXERCISES:
Classify all the following numbers as natural, whole, integer, rational, or irrational. List all that apply. a. 117 b. 0 c. -12.64039 d. - e. 6.36 f. g. -3

SOLUTION: a. 117 is a natural number, a whole number, an integer, and a rational number. b. 0 is a whole number, an integer, and a rational number. c. -12.64039 is an irrational number. d. - is a rational number. e. 6.36 is a rational number. f. is an irrational number.

g. -3 is a rational number. http://www.education.gov.za/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=x bAYTZ%2Fl%2BKQ%3D&tabid=621&mid=1735

The Algebraic Expression

Any expression that contains letters, numbers and basic operation signs +, --, and is called an Algebraic Expression.

Examples: 2x, 5y, -20p, 3x + 5y, -9q/8 are a few examples of algebraic expressions. 1. Algebraic Expression: An expression consisting of arithmetic numbers, letters (used as symbols) and operation signs is called an Algebraic Expression Examples: 2x + 3y , -9p + 2r, x2 + 5x + 6, a3 + b3 + 3ab2 + 3a2b 2. Constant: Algebraic symbols that have a fixed value and do not change like variables (which are used asplace holders) are called Constants Examples: In 2x + 3y + 4, 4 is a constant. In 2a2 3ab + 7, 7 is a constant 3. Variable

A symbol in Algebra that can be plugged in with different numerical values (numbers) is called avariable In 5p + 6q + r, the letters (symbols) p,q are called Variables. Note: 5p + 6q + r is also a variable, since any number can be plugged in for p, q and r as required.

4 .Terms of an expression The parts in an algebraic expression connected by the operation signs + or are called Terms In 2y + 3, 2y is one term and 3 is another term. 5. Monomials An algebraic expression containing only one term is called a Monomial. Monomials are also called simple expressions. 2x, 5x2 , pq are examples of monomials. 6. Binomial An algebraic expression that contains two terms is called a Binomial 2x + 3y, 2p2 + 9y3 are some examples of Binomials. 7. Trinomial An algebraic expression that has three terms is called a Trinomial. 3x + 4y + 5z, ax2 + bx + c are examples of Trinomials. 8. Polynomial An algebraic expression that contains one term, two terms, three terms or more is called aPolynomial. By this definition, each of monomial, binomial and trinomial is a Polynomial. Examples of Polynomials are: 3x, 4y2, pq, (which are Monomials) 3x + 4y, 5q + 9t, -m2 n2 (which are Binomials) ax2 + bx + c, 3a - b + (5/3) c. (which are Trinomials) 9. Factor:

Symbols or Numbers in multiplication are called factors. Example: In pq, p and q are factors in the multiplication p q. pq is called the product of the factors p and q.

Example: 2 and 3 are factors in the multiplication 23 which is equal to 6. 2 and 3 are called Numerical Factors 6 is called the product of 2 and 3. In the product xy, x and y are the factors and xy is called the product of x and y. x and y are called Literal Factors. 10. Coefficient: Coefficient is of two types. Numerical coefficient and Literal coefficient. Numbers form Numerical coefficients and symbols form literal coefficients. Examples: In 2xy, 2 is the number or the Numerical coefficient while xy, the symbol, is the Literal Coefficient. In the Monomial y, the Numerical coefficient is 1 and the literal coefficient is y In the product 100xy, 100 is the Numerical coefficient and xy is the literal coefficient. 11. Like Terms: Two or more terms that have the same literal coefficients are called Like Terms. Like terms can have different Numerical Coefficients, but not literal coefficients.

Examples: 4pq and 100pq are like terms as the literal coefficients xy are same in the two terms. -13p2q2 and 13 p2q2 are Like terms as only the numerical coefficients are different but the literal coefficients are same. 12. Unlike Terms Terms that are not Like terms are Unlike Terms. So, Unlike terms have different literal coefficients. Examples 3xy, 3xy2 are unlike terms
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Special Binomial Products 1. Multiplying a Binomial by Itself What happens when you square a binomial (in other words, multiply it by itself) .. ? (a+b)2 = (a+b)(a+b) = ... ?

The result: (a+b)2 = a2 + 2ab + b2 You can easily see why it works, in this diagram:

2. Subtract Times Subtract And what happens if you square a binomial with a minus inside? (a-b)2 = (a-b)(a-b) = ... ?

The result: (a-b)2 = a2 - 2ab + b2 3. Add Times Subtract And then there is one more special case... what if you multiply (a+b) by (a-b) ? (a+b)(a-b) = ... ?

The result:

(a+b)(a-b) = a2 - b2 That was interesting! It ended up very simple. And it is called the "difference of two squares" (the two squares are a2 and b2). This illustration may help you see why it works:

a2 - b2

is equal to

(a+b)(a-b)

Note: it does not matter if (a-b) comes first: (a-b)(a+b) = a2 - b2 The Three Cases Here are the three results we just got: (a+b)2 (a-b)
2

= a2 + 2ab + b2 } (the "perfect square trinomials") = a

2

- 2ab + b

(a+b)(a-b)

= a2 - b2

(the "difference of squares")

Remember those patterns, they will save you time and help you solve many algebra puzzles.

Using Them So far we have just used "a" and "b", but they could be anything. Example: (y+1)2 We can use the (a+b)2 case where "a" is y, and "b" is 1: (y+1)2 = (y)2 + 2(y)(1) + (1)2 = y2 + 2y + 1 Example: (3x-4)2 We can use the (a-b)2 case where "a" is 3x, and "b" is 4: (3x-4)2 = (3x)2 - 2(3x)(4) + (4)2 = 9x2 - 24x + 16 Example: (4y+2)(4y-2) We know that the result will be the difference of two squares, because: (a+b)(a-b) = a2 - b2 so: (4y+2)(4y-2) = (4y)2 - (2)2 = 16y2 - 4 Sometimes you can recognize the pattern of the answer: Example: can you work out which binomials to multiply to get 4x2 9 Hmmm... is that the difference of two squares? Yes! 4x2 is (2x)2, and 9 is (3)2, so we have: 4x2 - 9 = (2x)2 - (3)2 And that can be produced by the difference of squares formula: (a+b)(a-b) = a2 - b2 Like this ("a" is 2x, and "b" is 3): (2x+3)(2x-3) = (2x)2 - (3)2 = 4x2 - 9 So the answer is that you can multiply (2x+3) and (2x-3) to get 4x2 - 9
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