What are Rational Numbers

What are Rational Numbers

In mathematics, a rational number is any number that can be expressed as the quotient or fraction p/q of two integers, with the denominator q not equal to zero. Since q may be equal to 1, every integer is a rational number. The set of all rational numbers is usually denoted by a boldface Q (or blackboard bold , Unicode ), which stands for quotient.The decimal expansion of a rational number always either terminates after a finite number of digits or begins to repeat the same finite sequence of digits over and over. Moreover, any repeating or terminating decimal represents a rational number. These statements hold true not just for base 10, but also for binary, hexadecimal, or any other integer base. A real number that is not rational is called irrational. Irrational numbers include 2, , and e. The decimal expansion of an irrational number continues forever without repeating. Since the set of rational numbers is countable, and the set of real numbers is uncountable, almost all real numbers are irrational. The rational numbers can be formally defined as the equivalence classes of the quotient set (Z (Z {0})) / ~, where the cartesian product Z (Z {0}) is the set of all ordered pairs (m,n) where m and n are integers, n is not zero (n 0), and "~" is the equivalence relation defined by (m1,n1) ~ (m2,n2) if, and only if, m1n2 m2n1 = 0.In abstract algebra, the rational numbers together with certain operations of addition and multiplication form a field. This is the archetypical field of characteristic zero, and is the field of fractions for the ring of integers. Know More About :- Algebraic Expression

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Finite extensions of Q are called algebraic number fields, and the algebraic closure of Q is the field of algebraic numbers.In mathematical analysis, the rational numbers form a dense subset of the real numbers. The real numbers can be constructed from the rational numbers by completion, using Cauchy sequences, Dedekind cuts, or infinite decimals. Terminology:-The term rational in reference to the set Q refers to the fact that a rational number represents a ratio of two integers. In mathematics, the adjective rational often means that the underlying field considered is the field Q of rational numbers. Rational polynomial usually, and most correctly, means a polynomial with rational coefficients, also called a polynomial over the rationals. However, rational function does not mean the underlying field is the rational numbers, and a rational algebraic curve is not an algebraic curve with rational coefficients. Formal construction:-a diagram showing a representation of the equivalent classes of pairs of integers Mathematically we may construct the rational numbers as equivalence classes of ordered pairs of integers (m,n), with n 0. This space of equivalence classes is the quotient space (Z (Z {0})) / , where (m1,n1) (m2,n2) if, and only if, m1n2 m2n1 = 0. We can define addition and multiplication of these pairs with the following rules.and, if m2 0, The equivalence relation (m1,n1) ~ (m2,n2) if, and only if, m1n2 m2n1 = 0 is a congruence relation, i.e. it is compatible with the addition and multiplication defined above, and we may define Q to be the quotient set (Z (Z {0})) / , i.e. we identify two pairs (m1,n1) and (m2,n2) if they are equivalent in the above sense. (This construction can be carried out in any integral domain: see field of fractions.) We denote by [(m1,n1)] the equivalence class containing (m1,n1). If (m1,n1) ~ (m2,n2) then, by definition, (m1,n1) belongs to [(m2,n2)] and (m2,n2) belongs to [(m1,n1)]; in this case we can write [(m1,n1)] = [(m2,n2)]. Given any equivalence class [(m,n)] there are a countably infinite number of representation,The canonical choice for [(m,n)] is chosen so that gcd(m,n) = 1, i.e. m and n share no common factors, i.e. m and n are coprime. For example, we would write [(1,2)] instead of [(2,4)] or [(12,24)], even though [(1,2)] = [(2,4)] = [(12,24)].We can also define a total order on Q. Let be the and-symbol and be the or-symbol. We say that [(m1,n1)] [(m2,n2)]. The integers may be considered to be rational numbers by the embedding that maps m to [(m, 1)].The algebraic closure of Q, i.e. the field of roots of rational polynomials, is the algebraic numbers. Read More About :- Quadrilateral Shapes

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