Basics

Numbers

1.Z={...,−3,−2,−1,0,1,2,3,...}is the set of all integers. (Z is for Zahl,

German for number.)

2.Q is the set of all rational numbers. (Qis for quoziente, Italian for
quotient.)

3.R is the set of all real numbers.

4.C is the set of all complex numbers

Infinity(∞) and negative infinity(−∞) are NOT numbers

An integer is any one of these real numbers:...,−3,−2,−1,0,1,2,3, ...

Definition .A rational number(or simply rational’s) is any real number that

can be expressed as the ratio of two integers.

An irrational number(or simply irrationals) is any other real number

.Example.The number16 is an integer, a rational, and a real.

Example .The number1.87 is a rational and a real, but it is not an integer

.Example 6.The number π≈3.14159….is an irrational and a real, but it is

neither an integer nor a rational.
(a,b) is the set of all real numbers that are greater than a and smaller
than b. Such aset is also called an open interval.

[a,b] is the set of all real numbers that are greater than or equal to a and
smaller than or equal to b. Such a set is also called an closed interval.

The set I=(0,3) denotes the set of all real numbers that are greater than0
and smaller than3.

So for example,√2≈1.41∈I, but 0,3∉I.

How many elements does the set Z=[1,1]contain?

.How many elements does the set Y=(1,1)contain?

.How many elements does the set X=(1,1.01)contain?

..

The set Z=[1,1]contains only one element, namely the number1. So

actually, we can also write Z={1}.

.The set Y=(1,1)contains no elements. So actually, we can also write

Y=∅.

The set X=(1,1.01)contains infinitely many elements, namely all the real
numbers that are greater than1but smaller than1.01.
 Functions

Functions Undoubtedly the most important concept in all of

mathematics is that of a function

“Let f(x)=x+8 be a function.” Strictly speaking, this is not the correct way
of describing a function.

Here is a more precise definition of a function.19

A function consists of three pieces:

1. A set called the domain;

2. A set called the codomain; and

3. A mapping rule(or simply mapping or simply rule) which specifies how

each and every element in the domain is mapped(or assigned) to
one(and exactly one) element in the co domain

Let f be the function whose ...

•Domain is the set{1,2};

•Codomain is the set{1,2,3,4,5}; and

•Mapping rule is, informally, “multiply by2”.

According to the mapping rule, “1” (in the domain) is mapped to “2” (in
the codomain)and “2” (in the domain) is mapped to “4” (in the codomain).
Every element in the domain is mapped to exactly one element in the co
domain.This is indeed a function, because it has a domain, co domain,
and a correctly-specified mapping rule.

Formal Mathematical Notation for Functions

The function f∶ D→C is defined by f(x)=... for all x ∈D.
QN. Let f(x)=7x−3. What are f(0),f(1), and f(2)?

Given f(x)=7x−3, we have

f(0)=7⋅0−3=−3,f(1)=7⋅1−3=4,andf(2)=7⋅2−3=11.

f and f(x)refer to two different things .f denotes a function .f(x)denotes

the value of f at x.
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