Types of Numbers in Maths
According to the properties and how they are represented in the number line, the numbers are classified into different types. Each classification of number is provided herewith with description, properties, and examples to understand it in a better way. The different types of numbers are as follows:
Natural Numbers
Natural numbers are also called “counting numbers” which contain a set of positive integers from 1 to infinity. The set of natural numbers is represented by the letter “N”. The natural number set is defined by:
N = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ……….}
Examples: 35, 59, 110, etc.
Properties of Natural Numbers:
- The addition of natural numbers is closed, associative, and commutative.
- Natural Number multiplication is closed, associative, and commutative.
- The identity element of a natural number under addition is zero.
- The identity element of a natural number under Multiplication is one.
Whole Numbers
Whole numbers are also known as natural numbers with zero. The set consists of non-negative integers where it does not contain any decimal or fractional part. The whole number set is represented by the letter “W”. The natural number set is defined by:
W = {0,1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ……….}
Examples: 67, 0, 49, 52, etc.
Properties of Whole Numbers:
- Whole numbers are closed under addition and multiplication.
- Zero is the additive identity element of the whole numbers.
- 1 is the multiplicative identity element.
- It obeys the commutative and associative properties of addition and multiplication.
- It satisfies the distributive property of multiplication over addition and vice versa.
Learn more about whole numbers here.
Integers
Integers are defined as the set of all whole numbers with a negative set of natural numbers. The integer set is represented by the symbol “Z”. The set of integers is defined as:
Z = {-3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3}
Examples: -52, 0, -1, 16, 82, etc.
Properties of Integers:
- Integers are closed under addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
- The commutative property is satisfied for the addition and multiplication of integers.
- It obeys the associative property of addition and multiplication.
- It obeys the distributive property for addition and multiplication.
- The additive identity of integers is 0.
- The multiplicative identity of integers is 1.
Real Numbers
Any number such as positive integers, negative integers, fractional numbers or decimal numbers without imaginary numbers is called a real number. It is represented by the letter “R”.
Examples: ¾, 0.333, √2, 0, -10, 20, etc.
Properties of Real Numbers:
- Real Numbers are commutative, associated, and distributive under addition and multiplication.
- Real numbers obey the inverse property.
- Additive and multiplicative identity elements of real numbers are 0 and 1, respectively.
Rational Numbers
Any number that can be written in the form of p/q, i.e., a ratio of one number over another number is known as a rational number. A rational number can be represented by the letter “Q”.
Examples: 7/1, 10/2, 1/1, 0/1, etc.
Properties of Rational Numbers:
- Rational numbers are closed under addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
- It satisfies commutative and associative properties under addition and multiplication.
- It obeys distributive property for addition and subtraction.
Irrational Numbers
The number that cannot be expressed in the form of p/q. It means a number that cannot be written as the ratio of one over another is known as an irrational number. It is represented by the letter ”P”.
Examples: √2, π, Euler’s constant, etc
Properties of Irrational Numbers:
- Irrational numbers do not satisfy the closure property.
- It obeys commutative and associative properties under addition and multiplication.
- Irrational Numbers are distributive under addition and subtraction.
Complex Numbers
A number that is in the form of a+bi is called a complex number, where “a and b” should be a real number and “i” is an imaginary number.
Examples: 4 + 4i, -2 + 3i, 1 +√2i, etc
Properties of Complex Numbers:
The following properties hold for the complex numbers:
- Associative property of addition and multiplication.
- Commutative property of addition and multiplication.
- Distributive property of multiplication over addition.
Imaginary Numbers
The imaginary numbers are categorized under complex numbers. It is the product of real numbers with the imaginary unit “i”. The imaginary part of the complex numbers is defined by Im (Z).
Examples: √2, i2, 3i, etc.
Properties of Imaginary Numbers:
Imaginary Numbers has an interesting property. It cycles through 4 different values each time when it is under multiplication operation.
- 1 × i = i
- i × i = -1
- -1 × i = -i
- -i × i = 1
So, we can write the imaginary numbers as:
- i = √1
- i2 = -1
- i3 = -i
- i4 = +1
- i4n = 1
- i4n-1= -i
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