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What is number?
Number is one of the basic concepts of mathematics, used to count and measure.
Natural numbers
Natural numbers are numbers that are commonly used. The mathematical symbol for the
set of all natural numbers is N as N {1, 2, 3, 4, ...} .
Integers
Integers are formed by the natural numbers together with their negatives and including
zero. The mathematical symbol for the set of all integers is Z . Viewed as a subset of
the real number, they are numbers that can be written without a fractional or decimal
component, and fall within the set N {...,2, 1, 0,1, 2, ...} .
Rational Numbers
a
Rational Numbers are numbers that can be expressed in the form of where a and
b
b are integers and b 0 . The mathematical symbol for rational numbers is Q .
1 2 5 65
Examples of rational numbers are: , , , 65
2 7 8 1
Real Number System |2
Irrational Numbers
Irrational means NOT rational. Irrational numbers are numbers that cannot be expressed
a
in the form of for integer a and b . The irrational numbers have decimal that goes
b
on forever without repeating.
A point is chosen on the line to be the "origin", points to the right will be positive, and
points to the left will be negative.
Real Numbers
Integers
Real Number System |3
Figure 1.1: The relationship between the real number, rational number and irrational
numbers.
Solution
(a) 0.342424242
1000 x 342.424242...
10 x 3.424242...
990 x 339.0
339
x
990
95
(b) 9.5
10
Real Number System |4
545
(c) 5.45
100
Commutative Properties
Addition (
( a b) c a ( b c )
Multiplication
( a b) c a ( b c )
3(2+5)=3(2)+3(5)
Distributive Property
a (b c ) a b a c )
1.2. Intervals
Notations Inequality
( a, b ) a xb
[ a, b) a xb
Real Number System |5
( a, b] a xb
( a, ) xa
[ a, ) xa
( , a ) xa
( , a ] xa
Absolute value
Definition
x x if x 0
x x if x 0
x ;x 0
In other word we can define x x ; x 0
Example 1.2:
Solution
3x 5 7 or 3 x 5 7
75 75 2
x 4 x
3 3 3
Real Number System |6
1.3. Indices
The laws of Indices
Laws Examples
1. a m a n a m n 3 2 35 3 25 37
2. a m a n a m n 5 6 5 3 5 63 5 3
3. (a m ) n a mn (3 2 ) 3 332 36
1 1 1
4. a m 2 2
am 22 4
5. a0 1 20 1
1 1
6. a m m a 23 3 2
1.4. Surds
The term “surds” came from a Persian mathematician, Al-Khwarizmi around 820 AD
called irrational numbers "'inaudible" ... then was translated to the Latin surdus meaning
“mute”.
A surd is a square root which cannot be reduced to a whole number. For example,
4 2 is not a surd, as the answer is a whole number.
Note: If it is a root and irrational, it is a surd, but not all roots are surds.
Properties of surds
p q pq 2 3 23 6
p p 2 2
q q 3 3
Real Number System |7
(p q )( p q) p2 q (2 3 )( 2 3) 4 3 1
Rationalising Surds
This is a way of modifying surd expressions so that the square root is in the numerator of
a fraction and not in the denominator.
Example 1.3:
1
Rationalise
3 5
Solution
The conjugate of 3 5 is 3 5 .
Step 2: Multiply the numerator and the denominator with the conjugate.
1 3 5
3 5 3 5
Step 3: Simplify
1 3 5 3 5 3 5
3 5 3 5 95 4
1.5. Exercises
1.75
0.001
0.5466666...
15 3 2
(a) (b) (c)
3 3 3 3 5 3
1 5 1 1 42 5
(d) (e) (f)
2 1 3 1 3 1 1 3 5
x2 y5 2 2 3 1 5
(a) (b) ( x y z ) 2 yz
y2 x
Real Number System |9
1 2 p 2 q 3
(c) x 3 x 5 (d)
p 2q
1 1 1
(d) 16 4 (e) 27 3 3 4