Difference between revisions of "Natural number"
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| − | The set of '''natural numbers''', denoted <math>\mathbb{N}</math>, is a subset of the set of [[integer]]s, <math>\mathbb{Z}</math>. Some texts use <math>\mathbb{N}</math> to denote the set of [[positive integer]]s (sometimes called [[counting number]]s in elementary contexts), while others use if to represent the set of [[nonnegative]] integers (sometimes called [[whole number]]s). In particular, <math>\mathbb{N}</math> usually includes zero in the contexts of [[set theory]] and [[abstract algebra | algebra]], but usually not in the contexts of [[number theory]]. When there is risk of confusion, mathematicians often resort to less ambiguous notations, such as <math>\mathbb{Z}_{\geq0}</math> and <math>\mathbb{Z}_0^+</math> for the set of non-negative integers, and <math>\mathbb{Z}_{>0}</math> and <math>\mathbb{Z}^+</math> for the set of positive integers. | + | A '''natural number''' is any positive [[integer]]: <math>\text{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,\dots}</math>. The set of '''natural numbers''', denoted <math>\mathbb{N}</math>, is a subset of the set of [[integer]]s, <math>\mathbb{Z}</math>. Some texts use <math>\mathbb{N}</math> to denote the set of [[positive integer]]s (sometimes called [[counting number]]s in elementary contexts), while others use if to represent the set of [[nonnegative]] integers (sometimes called [[whole number]]s). In particular, <math>\mathbb{N}</math> usually includes zero in the contexts of [[set theory]] and [[abstract algebra | algebra]], but usually not in the contexts of [[number theory]]. When there is risk of confusion, mathematicians often resort to less ambiguous notations, such as <math>\mathbb{Z}_{\geq0}</math> and <math>\mathbb{Z}_0^+</math> for the set of non-negative integers, and <math>\mathbb{Z}_{>0}</math> and <math>\mathbb{Z}^+</math> for the set of positive integers. |
== See also == | == See also == | ||
Revision as of 16:09, 31 December 2010
A natural number is any positive integer: 
. The set of natural numbers, denoted 
, is a subset of the set of integers, 
. Some texts use to denote the set of positive integers (sometimes called counting numbers in elementary contexts), while others use if to represent the set of nonnegative integers (sometimes called whole numbers). In particular, usually includes zero in the contexts of set theory and algebra, but usually not in the contexts of number theory. When there is risk of confusion, mathematicians often resort to less ambiguous notations, such as 
and 
for the set of non-negative integers, and 
and 
for the set of positive integers.
See also
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