Real number

Revision as of 23:43, 30 June 2006 by JBL (talk | contribs)

A real number is a number that falls on the real number line. It can have any value. Some examples of real numbers are:$1, 2, -23.25, 0, \frac{\pi}{\phi}$, and so on. Numbers that are not real are $\ 3i$, $\ 3+2.5i$, $\ 3+2i+2j+k$, i.e. complex numbers, and quaternions.

The set of real numbers is denoted by $\mathbb{R}$. Commonly used subsets of the real numbers are the rational numbers ($\mathbb{Q}$), integers ($\displaystyle\mathbb{Z}$), natural numbers ($\mathbb{N}$) and irrational numbers (sometimes, but not universally, denoted $\mathbb{J}$). The real numbers can also be divided between the algebraic numbers and transcendental numbers, although these two classes are best understood as subsets of the complex numbers.


See Also