Numbers

Numbers are an integral part of our everyday lives, right from the number of
hours we sleep at night to the number of rounds we run around the racing track
and much more. In math, numbers can be even and odd numbers, prime and
composite numbers, decimals, fractions, rational and irrational numbers, natural
numbers, integers, real numbers, rational numbers, irrational numbers, and
whole numbers. In this chapter, we will get an introduction to the different types
of numbers and to all the concepts related to them.

What are Numbers?

A number is a basic component of mathematics. Numbers are used for counting,
measuring, keeping things in order, indexing, etc. We have different types of
numbers based on their properties such as natural numbers, whole numbers,
rational and irrational numbers, integers, real numbers, complex numbers, even
and odd numbers, etc. We can apply the basic fundamental arithmetic
operations of numbers and determine the resulting number. Initially, tally marks
were used before the use of numbers. Let us now introduce the concept of
numbers and understand their different types and their properties.

Introduction to Numbers
Numbers form the basis of mathematics. We should befriend numbers in order
to understand math. Numbers are of various kinds. We have a long list that
includes ordinal numbers, consecutive numbers, odd numbers, even numbers,
natural numbers, whole numbers, integers, real numbers, rational numbers,
irrational numbers, and complex numbers.

1|Page
Along with numbers, we come across the interesting world of factors and
multiples. This world includes prime numbers, composite numbers, co-prime
numbers, perfect numbers (yes, numbers could be perfect!) HCF, LCM, and
prime factorization.

Let’s get started on our journey of numbers. You can go ahead and explore all
important topics in Numbers by selecting the topics from the list given below:

Cardinal Numbers and Ordinal Numbers

A cardinal number is a number that denotes the count of any object. Any
natural number such as 1, 2, 3, etc., is referred to as a cardinal number, whereas,
an ordinal number is a number that denotes the position or place of an object.
For example, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. It indicates the order of things or objects,
such as first, second, third, fourth, and so on.
Example: Observe the table given below which shows the difference between
Cardinal numbers and Ordinal numbers. Ordinal numbers help define the
position of the children. Such as, Jim is the fourth child from the left.
Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers
Cardinal Numbers Ordinal Numbers
1 one 1th first

2 two 2nd second

3 three 3rd third

4 four 4th fourth

5 five 5th fifth

6 six 6th sixth

7 seven 7 th seventh

2|Page
 8 right 8 th eighth

9 nine 9 th ninth

10 ten 10th tenth

3|Page
CLASSIFICATION OF NUMBERS:

4|Page
Real Numbers
Any number that can be found in the real world is a real number. Any number
that we can think of, except complex numbers, is a real number. The set of real
numbers is the union of the set of Rational (Q) and Irrationals (Q'). It is denoted
by R. The set of real numbers, R = Q ∪ Q'. The following figure shows the
relationship between real numbers, rational numbers, irrational numbers,
integers, whole numbers and natural numbers.

Imaginary Numbers
Imaginary numbers are the numbers when squared it gives the negative result.
In other words, imaginary numbers are defined as the square root of the
negative numbers where it does not have a definite value. It is mostly written in
the form of real numbers multiplied by the imaginary unit called “i”.
Let us take an example: 5i
Where
5 is the real number and i is the imaginary unit.
When this number 5i is squared, we will get the negative result as -25. Because
the value of i 2 is -1. This means that the √-1 = i. 
The notation “i” is the foundation for all imaginary numbers. The solution
written by using this imaginary number in the form a+bi is known as a complex
number. In other words, a complex number is one which includes both real and
5|Page
imaginary numbers.

Complex Numbers
A complex number is a number that can be expressed in the form (a + bi) where
a and b are real numbers, and i is a solution of the equation x2 = −1. Since no
real number satisfies this equation, i is called an imaginary number. Complex
numbers have a real part and an imaginary part. Wait, do you think Complex
numbers are really complex? Well, let us study them in detail to find out. In this
section, we cover different topics like Complex Numbers – Points in the Plane,
A Complex Number is a Point in the Plane, What is i? Magnitude and
Argument, Powers of iota, Addition, and Subtraction of Complex Numbers,
Multiplication of Complex Numbers, Conjugate of a Complex
Number, Division of Complex Numbers, Addition, Subtraction, and
Interpretation of |z1-z2|.

Example: Observe the figure given below which shows that a complex number
consists of real numbers and an imaginary part.

Rational Numbers
A rational number, denoted by Q, is represented in the form p/q, where q is not
equal to zero. Integers, Fractions, Decimals, Whole numbers, and Natural
numbers are all Rational numbers. For example, 1/2, - 4/5 are rational numbers.

Irrational Numbers
6|Page
Irrational numbers are the real numbers that cannot be represented as a simple
fraction. It cannot be expressed in the form of a ratio, such as p/q, where p and q
are integers, q≠0. It is a contradiction of rational numbers. 
Irrational numbers are expressed usually in the form of R\Q, where the
backward slash symbol denotes ‘set minus’. it can also be expressed as R – Q,
which states the difference between a set of real numbers and a set of rational
numbers.
The calculations based on these numbers are a bit complicated. For
example, √5, √11, √21, etc., are irrational.

Integers
Integers are numbers that consist of whole numbers and negative numbers. All
integers are represented by the alphabet Z and do not have a decimal or a fractional
part. A number line is full of integers. On the left side, you can find negative
integers while on the right side you have the positive ones. Don’t forget the zero in
between!
Z = { ...., -4, -3, -2, -1, 0 , 1, 2, 3, 4,....}

Fractions
Fractions are a part of a whole. They are represented by numbers that have two
parts to them and they are separated by a fraction bar. There is a number at the
top, which is called the numerator, and the number at the bottom is called
the denominator.

Prime Numbers
A prime number is a number that has exactly two factors, 1 and the number
itself. For example, 2, 5, 7, 11, and so on are prime numbers. It can be said that
any whole number greater than 1 that has exactly two factors, 1 and itself is
7|Page
defined to be a prime number.
Well, now we know that a prime number has just two factors,1 and the number
itself.
Composite Numbers
A composite number is a number that has more than two factors, which means it
can be divided by the number 1 and itself, and at least one more integer. It can
also be said that any number greater than 1 that is not a prime number, is
defined to be a composite number. Composite numbers always have more than
2 factors. For example, 6, 8, 9, 12, and so on are composite numbers because
these numbers have more than 2 factors.

Even Numbers and Odd Numbers

Even numbers are those numbers that can be divided into two equal groups or
pairs and are exactly divisible by 2. For example, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and so on. In
other words, these are whole numbers that are exactly divisible by 2.
Odd numbers are whole numbers that cannot be completely divided by 2. These
numbers cannot be arranged in pairs. Interestingly, all the whole numbers
except the multiples of 2 are odd numbers.

Natural Numbers and Whole Numbers

A natural number is a non-negative integer and is always greater than zero. It is
represented by the symbol N. It should be noted that whole numbers do not
contain any decimal or fractional part. They are represented by the symbol W.

8|Page
9|Page