MATH 0
(Mathematics review)
Module 1
Week 1
Concept of a numbers
A number is an abstract concept. It is a mathematical object not easy to define simply.
However, we can use symbols called numerals to represent or name numbers. A set of basic
numerals with certain rules for combining them to form other numerals is called numeration
system.
The real Number System
All numbers that will be mentioned in this lesson belong to the set of the Real numbers. There
are five subsets within the set of real numbers. Let’s go over one of them
Five (5) subsets of Real Numbers
1. The Set of Natural or Counting Numbers
The set of the natural numbers (also known as counting numbers) contains the elements.
Elements of the Natural Numbers
{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ….}
2. The Set of whole numbers
The set of whole numbers includes all the elements of the natural numbers plus the number
(0).
The slight addition of the element zero to the set of natural numbers generates the new set of
whole numbers. Simple as that!
Elements of the Whole Numbers
{0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, . . .}
3. The Set of Integers
The set of Integers includes all the elements of the set of whole numbers and the opposites or
“negatives” of all the elements of the set of counting numbers.
Elements of the Integers
{ -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, . . .}
4. The Set of Rational Numbers
The set of rational numbers includes all numbers that be written as a fraction or as a ratio of
integers. However, the denominator cannot be equal to zero.
Elements of the Rational numbers
a/b where a and b are integers but b ≠ 0
A rational number may also appear in the form of a decimal. If a decimal number is repeating
or terminating, it can be written as a fraction, therefore, it must be a rational number.
Examples of terminating decimals:
0.12 = 12/100 = 3/25
0.456 = 456/1,000 = 57/125
Examples of repeating decimals
0.333333 = 1/3
0.63636363 = 7/11
0.142857 = 1/7
5. The Set of Irrational numbers
The set of irrational numbers can be described in many ways. These are the common ones.
a) Irrational numbers are numbers that cannot be written as a ratio of two integers. This
description is exactly the opposite that of the rational numbers.
b) Irrational numbers are the leftover numbers after all rational numbers are removed from
the set of the real numbers. You may think of it as,
Irrational numbers = real numbers “minus” rational numbers
c) Irrational numbers if written in decimal forms don’t terminate and don’t repeat.
There’s really no standard symbols to represent the set of irrational numbers. But you may
encounter the one below.
Element of the rational Numbers
Real numbers “minus” rational numbers
Examples.
a) Pi, π = 3.141592653589793238462643….
b) Euler’s number
e = 2.7182818284590452353602874…
c) The square root of √ 2 = 1.41421356237309504880168
ROUNDING OFF OF DECIMALS
Decimals fraction or simply decimals are simply fractions whose denominator is a multiplies of
10 such as 10, 100, 1000, etc. Since we are using numbers in base 10, each time a number is
divided by 10, it is equivalent to moving the decimal point 1 place towards the left. Thus 1/16
can be express in decimals as 0.1 and read as tenth. Two places read as hundredths since it is
divided by 100. Two hundred twelve thousandths can be written as 212/1000 or simply as
0.212.
Mixed decimals also called decimal is a combination of a whole numbers and decimals
or fractional part. Some decimals are repeating. These decimals that keeps on repeating the
same number as in 0.33333. These could be written as 0.3. The bar above signifies that 3 is
repeated a number of time. In 1.16, these means that the figure 16 is being repeated as
1.161616…
For the moment, we are interested on what will happen to the number when we want
to limit our answer to 2 or 3 decimals places. Limiting the answers does not simply cutting it off
but round it off by following the rules in rounding off of decimals.
The rules in rounding off numbers are as follows.
1. If the figure to be drop is less than 5, then the preceding number is retained.
2. If the figure to be drop is more than 5, then the preceding number is added by 1
To avoid being confused in rounding long decimals, look only at the number in the place you
are rounding to and the number that follows.
For example, to round 5.3824791401 to the nearest hundredths, just look at the number in the
hundredths place 8 and the number that follows 2, then you can easily round it to 5.38
Example 1. 0.873 round off to the nearest hundreds
The number is to be rounded off to two decimal places, that is hundredths. The
number 3, to be dropped is less than 5, and by rule no. 1 it tells us that preceding
number which is in this example, is retained, giving us 0.87 as the final answer.
Example 2 0.98 round off to the nearest tenths
Example 2 requires us to round off the number to the nearest tenths, meaning
one decimal
place the figure to dropped is 8 and rule 2 tell us to add 1 to the preceding figure
since 8 is
greater than 5. Adding 1 to 9, gives us the final answer as 1.0
Example 3 1.855 round off to the nearest hundredths
Answer 1.86
Example 4 0.00085 round off to the nearest thousandths
Answer 0.001
Practice:
Round off the following decimals to:
a) Nearest tenths
1. 0.32
2. 1.87
3. 112.395
4. 0.350
5. 7.25
b) Nearest hundredths
1. 1.875
2. 3.917
3. 1.3333
4. 4.185
5. 15.4298
c) Nearest thousandths
1. 0.99165
2. 3.59152
3. 1.33265
4. 0.95255
5. 4.2778
