"Real" Numbers do not include imaginary or complex numbers.
Only the following types of numbers are "real" numbers:
Rational Numbers:
Rational numbers are numbers which can be represented by a ratio (a fraction).
Fractions
All Fractions . . .
Decimals
- two separate types of decimals are rational numbers
only terminating and repeating decimals . . .
(Non-terminating, non-repeating decimals such as π (≈ 3.14159...), Euler's mathematical constant e (≈ 2.71828...), or √2 (≈ 1.4142...) are not rational numbers. They are called irrational numbers.)
Natural Numbers
- (counting numbers)
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . .
Whole Numbers
- (counting numbers plus zero)
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . .
Integers
- (whole numbers plus negative whole numbers)
. . . -5, -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . .
Irrational Numbers:
Irrational numbers are numbers whose decimal equivalent is non-terminating and does not have a repeating pattern.
The following
examples
of "real" numbers are
shown on the number line
, below:
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Rational Numbers:
examples:
Fraction
Decimal
-1.5
Natural Number
8
Whole Number
0
Integer
-4
Irrational Number:
example:
Number Line