Rational number

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In mathematics, a rational number is any number that can be expressed as the quotient
or fraction a/b of two integers, with the denominator b not equal to zero. Since b 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 U+211a ℚ), which stands for
quotient.

The decimal expansion of a rational number always either terminates after finitely many
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, π,
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 every real number is irrational.

The rational numbers can be formally defined as the equivalence classes of the quotient
set Z × N / ~, where the cartesian product Z × N is the set of all ordered pairs (m,n)
where m is integer and n is natural number (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. 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
either Cauchy sequences, Dedekind cuts, or infinite decimals.

Zero divided by any other integer equals zero, therefore zero is a rational number
(although division by zero itself is undefined).

Contents
[hide]

• 1 Terminology
 • 2 Arithmetic
• 3 Egyptian fractions
• 4 Formal construction
• 5 Properties
• 6 Real numbers and topological properties
• 7 p-adic numbers
• 8 See also

• 9 External links

[edit] 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. For example, a rational
integer is an algebraic integer which is also a rational number, which is to say, an
ordinary integer, and a rational matrix is a matrix whose coefficients are 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

[edit] Arithmetic
See also: Fraction (mathematics)#Arithmetic with fractions

Two rational numbers a/b and c/d are equal if, and only if, ad = bc.

Two fractions are added as follows

The rule for multiplication is

Additive and multiplicative inverses exist in the rational numbers

It follows that the quotient of two fractions is given by

[edit] Egyptian fractions
Main article: Egyptian fraction

Any positive rational number can be expressed as a sum of distinct reciprocals of positive
integers, such as

For any positive rational number, there are infinitely many different such representations,
called Egyptian fractions, as they were used by the ancient Egyptians. The Egyptians also
had a different notation for dyadic fractions in the Akhmim Wooden Tablet and several
Rhind Mathematical Papyrus problems.

[edit] 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, division by

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, since

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)] if:

The integers may be considered to be rational numbers by the embedding that maps m to
[(m, 1)].

[edit] Properties

a diagram illustrating the countability of the rationals

The set Q, together with the addition and multiplication operations shown above, forms a
field, the field of fractions of the integers Z.

The rationals are the smallest field with characteristic zero: every other field of
characteristic zero contains a copy of Q. The rational numbers are therefore the prime
field for characteristic zero.

The algebraic closure of Q, i.e. the field of roots of rational polynomials, is the algebraic
numbers.

The set of all rational numbers is countable. Since the set of all real numbers is
uncountable, we say that almost all real numbers are irrational, in the sense of Lebesgue
measure, i.e. the set of rational numbers is a null set.

The rationals are a densely ordered set: between any two rationals, there sits another one,
in fact infinitely many other ones. Any totally ordered set which is countable, dense (in
the above sense), and has no least or greatest element is order isomorphic to the rational
numbers.

[edit] Real numbers and topological properties

The rationals are a dense subset of the real numbers: every real number has rational
numbers arbitrarily close to it. A related property is that rational numbers are the only
numbers with finite expansions as regular continued fractions.

By virtue of their order, the rationals carry an order topology. The rational numbers, as a
subspace of the real numbers, also carry a subspace topology. The rational numbers form
a metric space by using the absolute difference metric d(x,y) = |x − y|, and this yields a
third topology on Q. All three topologies coincide and turn the rationals into a
topological field. The rational numbers are an important example of a space which is not
locally compact. The rationals are characterized topologically as the unique countable
metrizable space without isolated points. The space is also totally disconnected. The
rational numbers do not form a complete metric space; the real numbers are the
completion of Q.

[edit] p-adic numbers

In addition to the absolute value metric mentioned above, there are other metrics which
turn Q into a topological field:

Let p be a prime number and for any non-zero integer a, let |a|p = p−n, where pn is the
highest power of p dividing a.

In addition set |0|p = 0. For any rational number a/b, we set |a/b|p = |a|p / |b|p.
Then dp(x,y) = |x − y|p defines a metric on Q.

The metric space (Q,dp) is not complete, and its completion is the p-adic number field Qp.
Ostrowski's theorem states that any non-trivial absolute value on the rational numbers Q
is equivalent to either the usual real absolute value or a p-adic absolute value.

[edit] See also

• Rational data type
• Floating point
• Irrational number

[edit] External links

• “Rational Number” From MathWorld — A Wolfram Web Resource

[hide]v · d · eNumber systems

Natural numbers ( ) · Integers ( ) · Rational numbers ( ) ·

Countable sets
Algebraic numbers ( ) · Computable numbers

Real numbers ( ) · Complex numbers ( ) · Quaternions (

Real numbers and ) · Octonions ( ) · Sedenions ( ) · Cayley–Dickson
their extensions construction · Dual numbers · Hypercomplex numbers ·
Superreal numbers · Hyperreal numbers · Surreal numbers

Cardinal numbers · Ordinal numbers · p-adic numbers ·

Other number systems
Supernatural numbers
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rational_number"
Categories: Elementary mathematics | Field theory | Fractions | Real numbers

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