0
Still curious? Ask our experts.
Chat with our AI personalities
Fran
Coach
JudyAdd your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Why are numbers not rational?
Most numbers ARE rational. For instance all the integers and most real numbers are rational numbers. To be an irrational number a real number must be impossible to express as a ratio of integers.
Are rational numbers always integers?
Most of the time yes, positive or negative whole numbers count as rational numbers. So do positive or negative fractions.
Are most numbers rational or irrational?
The set of irrational numbers is larger than the set of rational numbers, as proved by Cantor: The set of rational numbers is "countable", meaning there is a one-to-one correspondence between the natural numbers and the rational numbers. You can put them in a sequence, in such a way that every rational number will eventually appear in the sequence. The set of irrational numbers is uncountable, this means that no such sequence is possible. All rational and irrationals (ie real numbers) are a subset of complex numbers. Complex numbers, in turn, are part of a larger group, and so on.
Can negatives be rational?
Yes, negative numbers can most certainly be rational. A rational number is simply a number which can be expressed as a fraction. An example of a negative rational number is: -1/2
What is the history of rational numbers?
The history of rational numbers goes way back to the beginning of historical times. It is believed that knowledge of rational number precedes history but no evidence of this survives today. The earliest evidence is in the Ancient Egyptian document the Kahun Papyrus. Ancient Greeks also worked on rational numbers as a part of their number theory. Euclid's elements dates to around 300 BC. Indian mathematicians also worked on rational numbers. This is documented in different texts but the most important is probably the Sthananga Sutra which dates back to around the second century BC.
