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In mathematics, real is used as an adjective, meaning that the underlying field is the field of the real numbers (or the real field). For example, real matrix, real polynomial and real Lie algebra. The word is also used as a noun, meaning a real number (as in "the set of all reals").
Main article: list of numeral systems. Decimal: The standard Hindu–Arabic numeral system using base ten. Binary: The base-two numeral system used by computers, with digits 0 and 1. Ternary: The base-three numeral system with 0, 1, and 2 as digits. Quaternary: The base-four numeral system with 0, 1, 2, and 3 as digits.
An axiomatic definition of the real numbers consists of defining them as the elements of a complete ordered field. [2] [3] [4] This means the following: The real numbers form a set, commonly denoted , containing two distinguished elements denoted 0 and 1, and on which are defined two binary operations and one binary relation; the operations are called addition and multiplication of real ...
An imaginary number is the product of a real number and the imaginary unit i, [ note 1] which is defined by its property i2 = −1. [ 1][ 2] The square of an imaginary number bi is −b2. For example, 5i is an imaginary number, and its square is −25. The number zero is considered to be both real and imaginary. [ 3]
Irrational number. The number √ 2 is irrational. In mathematics, the irrational numbers ( in- + rational) are all the real numbers that are not rational numbers. That is, irrational numbers cannot be expressed as the ratio of two integers. When the ratio of lengths of two line segments is an irrational number, the line segments are also ...
Every real number corresponds to a point on the number line. The following paragraph will focus primarily on positive real numbers. The treatment of negative real numbers is according to the general rules of arithmetic and their denotation is simply prefixing the corresponding positive numeral by a minus sign, e.g. −123.456.
An algebraic number is a number that is a root of a non-zero polynomial (of finite degree) in one variable with integer (or, equivalently, rational) coefficients. For example, the golden ratio, , is an algebraic number, because it is a root of the polynomial x2 − x − 1. That is, it is a value for x for which the polynomial evaluates to zero.
In advanced mathematics, the number line is usually called the real line or real number line, and is a geometric line isomorphic to the set of real numbers, with which it is often conflated; both the real numbers and the real line are commonly denoted R or . The real line is a one- dimensional real coordinate space, so is sometimes ...