NUMBER SYSTEM, EXPEONENTS AND RADICALS

THE NUMBER SYSTEM

Number System

Real Number Unreal Numbers (imaginary number)

e.g., √ -1 = i

Rational number Irrational number

Integers Fractions

Negative Proper Improper Positive Negative

Positive Zero
Integers Fractions Fractions Fractions Fractions
Integers

An Integer is a whole number and does not have a fractional part.

Rational Numbers are numbers that can be expressed as a ratio of two integers. The decimal
representation of a rational number is finite or periodic. Every number with a finite
(terminating) or periodic (repeating) decimal representation is a rational number.
The set of rational numbers consists of numbers, such as 1/2 and 5/3, that can be written as
a quotient of two integers. That is, a rational number is a number that can be written as p/q ,
where p and q are integers and q ≠ 0. For example, the numbers 19/20, -2/7, and -6/2 are
rational. We remark that 2/4, 1/2, 3/6, -4/-8 , 0.5, and 50% all represent the same rational
number. The integer 2 is rational, since 2 = 2/1. Every integer is a rational number. In fact,
every integer is rational. Every rational number is a real number.
All rational numbers can be represented by decimal numbers that terminate, such as ¾ = 0.75
and 3/2 = 1.5, or by nonterminating, repeating decimal numbers (a group of digits that
repeats without end), such as 2/3
= 0.666 . . . ; -4/11 = -0.3636 . . . ; and 2/15 = 0:1333 . . . .
Numbers represented by nonterminating, nonrepeating decimals are called irrational
numbers. An irrational number cannot be written as an integer divided by an integer. The
numbers π and √2 are examples of irrational numbers. Together, the rational numbers and the
irrational numbers form the set of real numbers.
Real numbers can be represented by points on a line, called a real-number line. Positions to
the right of the origin are considered positive (+) and positions to the left are negative (-). The
arrowhead indicates that the direction to the right along the line is considered the positive
direction
To each point on the line there corresponds a unique real number, and to each real number
there corresponds a unique point on the line. There is a one-to-one correspondence between
points on the line and real numbers. We feel free to treat real numbers as points on a real-
number line and vice versa.

Irrational Numbers are numbers that cannot be expressed as a ratio of a pair of integers, e.g.
√ 2,
π = 3.1415…, which is non-repeating, non-terminating decimal.
The real numbers arise by “extending” rational numbers by nonperiodic decimal numbers
with infinitely many digits. The set of real numbers consists of all decimal numbers.
A complex number is a combination of real and unreal numbers.

ℤ = {…, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2…} = set of integers

ℙ = {1, 2, 3…} = set of positive integers = ℝ ++ (Counting or Natural)
ℕ = {0, 1, 2, 3…}= set of nonnegative integers = ℝ +
ℚ = set of rational numbers
ℝ = set of real numbers
ℝ + = ℝ ++ U{0} set of nonnegative real numbers
ℝ = { ℤ, ℙ, ℕ, ℚ}
ℝ together with its properties is called the real number system

Properties of Real Numbers

1. Closure: if a, b ∈ ℝ, then a+ b ∈ ℝ and ab ∈ℝ
2. Commutative properties: for all a, b ∈ ℝ, a + b = b + a and ab = ba
3. Associative properties: for all a, b, c ∈ ℝ, a + (b + c) = (a+b) + c and a(bc) = (ab)c
4. Distributive properties: for all a, b, c ∈ ℝ, a(b+c) = ab + ac
5. Zero: for all a ∈ ℝ, a + 0 = a a(0) =0
6. One: for all a ∈ ℝ, 1(a) = a
7. Negation: for each a ∈ ℝ, there is a number b ∈ ℝ defined as having the property a + b
= 0 or usually a + (-a) = 0
8. Reciprocals: for each element a ∈ ℝ – {0}, there is an element b ∈ ℝ defined as having
the property a(b) = 1 or usually a (1/a) = 1

The Space R2
Algebraically, the familiar x−y plane is simply the collection of all pairs ( x, y) of real
numbers. Each such pair specifies a point in the plane as follows. First, construct two copies
of the real line—one horizontal and one vertical—which intersect perpendicularly at their
origins; these are called the axes. Then, given a pair (x 1, x 2), the first coordinate, x 1,
specifies the point's horizontal displacement from the vertical axis, while the second
coordinate, x 2, gives the vertical displacement from the horizontal axis. See Figure 1.
Clearly, then, the order in which the coordinates are written is important since the point (x 1,
x 2) will not coincide—generally—with the point (x 2, x1). To emphasize this fact, the plane is
said to be the collection of ordered pairs of real numbers. Since it takes two real numbers to
specify a point in the plane, the collection of ordered pairs (or the plane) is called 2‐space,
denoted R 2 (“R two”).

Principal Nth Roots

When a number has two nth roots—one positive and one negative—the positive root is called
the principal nth root. If a number has only one nth root, it is automatically considered to be
the principal nth root. Fractional exponents may be used to denote the principal nth root of a
number as defined in the box.
Basic Operations on Radicals

Addition and Subtraction

Just as we were able to simplify many polynomial expressions by combining like terms, we
can simplify expressions containing radicals by combining terms that have the same radical
forms. This is again justified by the distributive law. as illustrated in Example 24.

Multiplication
Many expressions involving radicals can be multiplied in the same manner in which we
multiplied polynomials. The distributive property justifies this procedure. Example 26
illustrates several different products involving radicals.

Quotients—Rationalizing Denominators

This is done by multiplying the numerator and the denominator by the radical expression in
the denominator (self). The process by which a denominator is cleared of radicals is called
rationalizing the denominator.