Jul 30 2009
What is a Real Number?
Our word for the week is a phrase for the week, as there are two words to this one. What is a Real Number? A real number is used in mathematics and is any of the rational numbers (which include integers) and irational numbers. Real numbers exclude imaginary numbers that are found in complex numbers of the general form a + bi where i = V-1, although these do include a real component a.
Now, I will admit that I am rusty in the stuff I just wrote in the above paragraph. I am not a mathematicion and it was not my forte’ in college. Real Number was chosen at random from my Big Book of Science terms and definitions. I invite any of you math-a-holics to enlighten the rest of us with a laymens explanation of the above.
