whole number & integer?

Question

Give the number that has no reciprocal?it is 0, is it right? whats the difference between whole number and integer? From textbook INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA BY CHARLES P. MCKEAGUE, -5 is a integer,but it's not a whole numbers. what do u think I think they are same.

Answer 1

The numbers 1.2.3.4.....are called natural numbers.Positive or negative natural numbers are called integers i.e. 1,2,3,4,-1,-2,-3,-4......etc
If '0" is added to the set of natural numbers,the set obtained is called the set of whole numbers.0,1,2,3,4,5 etc are whole numbers.Whole numbers cannot be negative

Answer 2

Zero cannot have a reciprocal because no number can be divided by zero. Remember, 1/2 is the same thing as saying 1 divided by 2. 0/0 is the same thing as saying 0 divided by 0. Since zero cannot be divided by zero, it cannot have a reciprocal.

This particular phenomenon may not seem important now, but it will become very important when you begin the study of the concept of "limits" in advanced algebra, analytic geometry and the calculus. In fact, it will become rather interesting.

An integer can be any non-fraction number + or -. A whole number can any non-negative integer.

Remember - these are just a set of axioms at this point. They are there to help you make sound mathematical conclusions until you get to higher mathematics, where these questions will be revisited in greater detail.

Answer 3

This is a critical question; if you don't know basics like this you are doomed in mathematics--and you will pay ($$$) for it the rest of your life.
So the set of numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, .... (which is an infinite set) is called the "whole numbers."
The set of numbers ....-3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3... (where the infinity goes in two directions) is called the "integers."
The distinction is that all negative numbers are integers but they are not whole numbers. The set called the "whole numbers" (just a name) does not contain negative numbers.
Why do you have to know this? It is foundation for what you need to know later. And later is not deep in the future it is tomorrow morning or in your next class.
Historically negaive numbers were the greatest invention of its time. It answered the question 3 + -4 = and resulted in one person saying to the other "then you owe me one."

Answer 4

Zero has no reciprocal under multiplication.

A whole number is the same as integer. Integers and whole numbers can be either negative or positive. In Algebra we denote the set of integers by Z.

Answer 5

Whole numbers are the non-negative integers. You can think otherwise, but you would simply be wrong. This is the definition, and definitions cannot be false.
Wikipedia implies, but doesnt make it clear, that a whole number is the same as a natural number, expect 0 is not a natural number and it IS a whole number. Those people who think 0 is not a whole number are unfortunately common, and wrong.

Answer 6

Whole numbers has inconsistent definitions. If it refers to only non-negative integers, then -20 is not a whole number. Otherwise, it is. Aside from that, -20 is a real, rational integer. It is not irrational.

Answer 7

0 has no reciprocal.

You are right that a whole number is an integer.

A natural number is integer greater than 0 (although some texts include 0)

It seems to have different definitions for different people:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_number

Answer 8

0 has no reciprocal.....
whole number starts from 0 and onwards.... but in case of integer they are negartive as well as positive numbers.

Answer 9

0 has no multiplicative reciprocal.

Whole numbers are the non-negative integers.

Answer 10

I am thinking that a whole number is considered to be 1,2,3,4,5,6.....