The Types of Numbers

Numbers we have are classified into various type. This is very similar to how we classify the living things in Biology into animals and plants and substances in Chemistry as mixtures and compounds or matter in Physics as Solid, Liquid and Gas.

Below is a similar classification tree diagram for numbers in Mathematics:

We will read about each of these types in more details in some time. For now lets learn some nomenclature.

• • Positive numbers are also called the Natural Numbers.

  • Natural numbers with zero are called Whole Numbers.

  • Whole numbers together with negative numbers are called as the Integers.

  • Integers along with fractions are called the Rational Numbers.

  • Rational Numbers and Irrational numbers together are called as the Real Numbers.

ZERO has its own special place in the classification system. ZERO was found by an Indian Mathematician named Aryabhata! Albert Einstein once said that Indian have taught us to count! #madeInIndia #feelProud

PS: There is another class of numbers called Imaginary Numbers and they along with Real Numbers combine to make the Complex Numbers! But don't worry about this now, you will study about them in class 11.