THE SET OF REAL NUMBERS: R

John Karlo Mendoza

BS Mechanical Engineering
University of the Philippines Diliman
 Subsets

• Counting/natural numbers: {1,2,3,...} = N

• Whole numbers: {0,1,2,...} = W = N  {0}
• Integers: {...,-3,-2,-1,0,1,2,3,...} = Z = W  -N
 Remarks
1. N is the set of positive integers
2. -N is the set of negative integers
3. Zero is neither negative or positive
4. N  {0}, set of nonnegative integers
5. -N  {0}, set of nonpositive integers
 Subsets

• Rational numbers – real numbers that can be

expressed as the quotient of two integers
a
a and b, i.e , where b  0
b
 Remarks
1. Decimals which are rational:
a) Terminating
1
Example: 0.25 = , 3.14151617189
4

b) Nonterminating, repeating
Example: 0.33.. = 1 , 0.11.. = 1
3 9
 Remarks

2. The set of rational numbers is denoted by Q.

n
3. Let n  Z, n = , so n  Q
1

Then Z  Q
 Subsets
• Irrational numbers – real numbers that are not
rational

x is irrational,  (there no exist) a,b  Z such that

a
x
b
Example: nonterminating, nonrepeating decimals
, , 2 7
 Remarks

1. The set of irrational numbers is denoted by Q’.

2. Q  Q’ = R
 Real Number System
Q’ Q Z
W

-N
N

R
 Properties of Real Numbers

Undefined terms: Real Numbers, R

Operation: Addition (+) and Multiplication ()
Relation: Equality (=)
 Properties of Real Numbers

The real number system is the set of real

numbers with two operations called addition
and multiplication. If a,b  R, then the sum of
a and b is a + b (where a and b are called
addends or terms) and the product of a and b
is a  b (where a and b are called factors).
 Field Axioms
1. Closure Axiom for Addition and Multiplication
R is closed under addition and
multiplication, that is, for any real numbers a
and b, a + b and a  b are unique real
numbers.
[ a,b  R, a + b  R and a  b  R]

*Note: In general, a set is closed with respect to an

operation, if the result of the operation applied to the
elements of the set is an element of the set.
 Field Axioms
Example
Let S = {-1,0,1}
Is S closed under multiplication? addition?
 -1 0 1 + -1 0 1
-1 1 0 -1 -1 -2 -1 0
0 0 0 0 0 -1 0 1
1 -1 0 1 1 0 1 2

YES! NO!
-2,2  S
 Field Axioms

2. Associative Axiom for Addition and

Multiplication

[ a,b,c,  R, (a + b) + c = a + (b + c) and
(a  b)  c = a  (b  c)]
 Field Axioms
3. Commutative Axiom for Addition and
Multiplication
[ a,b  R, a + b = b + a and a  b = b  a]

4. Distributive Axiom for Multiplication over

Addition
[ a,b,c,  R, c  (a + b) = c  a + c  b]
 Field Axioms
5. (a) Identity Axiom for Addition
There exists a real number, zero (0), such
that  a  R, a + 0 = 0 + a = a

Remark: We say 0 is the identity element for

addition.
 Field Axioms
5. (b) Identity Axiom for Multiplication
There exists a real number, one (1), such
that  a  R, a  1 = 1  a = a

Remark: We say 1 is the identity element for

multiplication.
 Field Axioms

6. (a) Inverse Axiom for Addition

 a  R, there is a unique inverse element,
-a, such that a + (-a) = 0 = -a + a

Remark: We say that -a is the additive

inverse of a.
 Field Axioms
6. (b) Inverse Axiom for Multiplication
 a  R, a  0, there is a unique inverse
element, 1 , such that a 1 = 1 =1  a
a a a
1
Remark: We say that is the multiplicative
inverse of a. a
 Equality Axioms
1. Reflexive Property of Equality
 a  R, a = a
2. Symmetric Property of Equality
 a,b  R, if a = b then b = a
3. Transitive Property of Equality
 a,b,c  R, if a = b and b = c, then a = c
 Equality Axioms

4. Addition Property of Equality

 a,b,c  R, if a = b, then a + c = b + c
5. Multiplication Property of Equality
 a,b,c  R, if a = b, then a  c = b  c
 Subtraction

Definition of Subtraction
If a,b  R, then it assigns to a and b a real
number, denoted a – b, called the difference
of a and b, where a – b = a + (-b).
 Division
Definition of Division
If a,b  R, then it assigns to a and b a real
number, denoted a  b, called the quotient of
a 1
a and b, where b  0
, a
b b
a
Remark: The quotient is not defined,  a 
R 0
 Other Axioms
1. Trichotomy Axiom
 a,b  R, exactly one of the following
holds: a > b, a = b, or b < a
2. Transitive Axiom for Order
 a,b,c  R, if a > b and b > c, then a > c
3. Addition Axiom for Order
 a,b,c  R, if a > b, then a + c > b + c
4. Multiplication Axiom for Order
 a,b,c  R, where c > 0, if a > b, then
ac=bc
 Theorems
(from Existence of Additive Inverse)
1. a = -(-a)
2. Cancellation Law for Addition
If a + c = b + c, then a = b
3. a  0 = 0
4. (-a)  b = -(ab)
5. (-a)  (-b) = ab
6. There exists a solution to the equation
a + x = b.
 Theorems
(from Existence of Multiplicative Inverse)
1
1.  a  0, a 
1
a
2. Cancellation Law for Multiplication
c  0, (a  c = b  c)  a = b
3. a  b = 0, either a = 0 or b = 0
4.  a,b  0, 1  1  1
ab a b
 Theorems
(from Existence of Multiplicative Inverse)
5. ba  0, there exists a solution to the equation
ax=b
b d bd
6.   , a,c  0
a c ac
7. b  b  c
a ac
b d
8.   bc  ad
a c ac
 Positive and Negative
Definition of Positive
Let a,b  R, then a number a is a positive
real number if a > 0

Definition of Negative
Let a,b  R, then a number a is a negative
real number if 0 > a

We say a < b (a less than b) if b > a.

 Theorems
Let a,b,c  R
1. The set of positive numbers is closed under
addition and multiplication.
2. If a > 0, then -a < 0. Also, if a < 0, then -a > 0.
3. If a > b, then -b > -a
4. a2  0
5. If a > b and c < 0, then ac < bc
6. If a > 0, then its multiplicative inverse is
greater than 0
 Exercise
Give the axiom identification that justifies the ff:
1. If x  R, then x + 2  R
2. 2 – 2 = 2 + (-2)
3. (-1)(1) = (-1)
4. (x + y) + z = z + (x + y)
5. (x + y) + z = x + (y + z)
 Answers
1. Closure Axiom for Addition
2. Definition of Subtraction
3. Identity Axiom for Multiplication
4. Commutative Axiom for Addition
5. Associative Axiom for Addition
 Inequalities
Inequalities are statements that use the
symbols <, >, , .
• strict inequalities: <, >
• nonstrict inequalities: , 

If a < x & x < b, we say that x is between a & b.

We write a < x < b (continued inequalities).
 Inequalities
Examples
a. The set of all x between -3 & 3
A = {x|-3 < x < 3}
b. The set of all p such that 6p – 5 is nonnegative
B = {p|6p - 5  0}
c. The set of all q such that 3q is greater than 10
and less than or equal to 20
C = {q|10 < 3q  20}
Geometric Interpretation of R

-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

origin
real number line
 Interval Notation
1. Open Interval
From a to b is the set of all x such that a
<x<b
(a,b) = {x|a < x < b}

a b
 Interval Notation
2. Closed Interval
- open interval (a,b) with the endpoints a
&b
[a,b] = {x|a  x  b}

a b
 Interval Notation
3. Interval half-open to the left
- open interval (a,b) with the endpoint b
(a,b] = {x|a < x  b}

a b
 Interval Notation
4. Interval half-open to the right
- open interval (a,b) with the endpoint a
[a,b) = {x|a  x < b}

a b
Notation: + - positive infinity
- - negative infinity
 Interval Notation
Examples
1. (a, +) = {x|x > a}

2. [a, +) = {x|x  a}

a
 Interval Notation
Examples
3. (-, b) = {x|x < b}

b
4. (-, b] = {x|x  b}

b
 Exercises

Draw the intervals in a number line.

a. {x|x > 2 and x < 12}
b. (2,7]
c. {x|x > 5}  {x|x < 15}
 Answers
a. {x|x > 2 and x < 12}

2 12

b. (2,7]

2 7
 Answers

c. {x|x > 5}  {x|x < 15}

5 15
 Absolute Value
If a  R, then the absolute value of a, denoted
by |a|, is given by
a if a  0
a {
 a if a  0
Examples
 3  (3)  3

1  2  (1  2 )  2  1
 Absolute Value

*Note: The absolute value of a can be considered the

distance of a from the origin.

|a|

a 0
 Absolute Value
(a  b), a  b  0 a  b, a  b
ab { {
 (a  b), a  b  0 b  a, a  b
|a – b| is the distance of a from b

|a - b|

a 0 b
 Properties of Absolute Value
" a,b  R
1. |a|  0
2. |ab| = |a|  |b|

a a
3. , b  0
b b
4. |a + b|  |a| + |b| (Triangle Inequality)
 Integer Exponents
If x  R, n  N, then the nth power of x,
denoted by xn, is given by
xn = x  x  x ... x (n factors of x)

Examples
6
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
        
 2  2 2 2 2 2 2 64
34 = 3  3  3  3 = 81 54 = 5  5  5  5
= 625(-5)4 = 625 -54 = -625
 Theorem

If x  R, m,n  N, then xm  xn = xm+n

Examples
1. x2  x4 = x2+4 = x6
2. (x2y)(3x4y3) = 3x6y4
 Theorem

If x,y  R, m  N, then (xy)m = xmym

Examples
1. (33)2 = 332 = 36 = 729
2. (xy2)4 = x4y8
 Theorem
mn
m
x m  n
x
If x  R, m,n  N, then n  {1 mn
x 1
nm
mn
x
Example
2 3 2 3
1. x y  x  y  1
2 5 2 5 2
x y x y y
 Theorem
m
x xm
If x,y  R, m  N, then   ,y m 0
y y
Example
3
 2 3
2 8
1.  2    6
x  x  
2 3
x
 Integer Exponents
Consider
xm  xn = xm+n,
if m = 0, x0  xn = x0+n = xn
x0  x n = xn
 x0 = 1 (Identity Axiom for
Multiplication)
if m = -n, x-n  xn = 1x-n+n = x0 = 1
n
x  n
x
 Integer Exponents

Definition
n 1
If x  R, x  0, m  N, then x = 1 andx  n
0
x
 Theorems
If x,y  R, m,n  Z

1. xm  xn = xm+n
m
x m n
2. n , x  0
x
3. (xm)n = xmn

4. (xy)m = xmym
x  x
m m
5.   ,y  0
 ym  ym
 
 Exercises
Simplify.
1. a3  a-5

2. (xy)-4
2
 2a b c 
2 2  4
3.  3 1 2 
 3a b c 
 
2 2  32
4. 1 1
2 3
 Answers
1
1. 2
a
1
2. 4 4
x y
12
9c
3. 2 6
4a b
4. 1
6