APPENDIX : MORE DETAILED DISCUSSION OF NUMBERS & DISASTERS ______________________________________________________________________________ The unit is an optional, though highly, desirable, reading. The unit is included for better understanding of number systems, which play significant role in better understanding of the discipline of Numerical Techniques ___________________________________________________________________________
A.0 Introduction A.1 Sets of Numbers A.2 Algebraic Systems of Numbers A.3 Numerals: Notations for Numbers A.4 Properties of Conventional Number Systems A.5 Computer Number Systems A.6 Disasters due to Numerical Errors
A.0 Introduction _____________________________________________________________________________ We have earlier mentioned that the discipline of Numerical Techniques is about • •
numbers, rather special type of numbers called computer numbers, and application of ( some restricted version of ) the four arithmetic operations, viz., + (plus), − (minus), * (multiplication) and ÷ ( division) on these special numbers.
Therefore, let us, first, recall some important sets of numbers, which have been introduced to us earlier, from school days. Then we will discuss algebraic systems (to be called simply systems) of numbers, and finally notations for numbers. __________________________________________________________________________ A.1 Sets of Numbers _____________________________________________________________________________ Set of Natural numbers denoted by N, where N = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, ... } or N = {1, 2, 3, 4, ….} Set of Integers denoted by I, or Z, where I = { …., −4, −3, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, …..} Justification of the KrÖnecker’s statement can be seen through the following explanation: An integer can be considered as an ordered pair (m, n) of natural numbers. For example, −3 may be considered as the pair (2, 5), or (4, 7) of natural numbers and integer 3 as (5, 2), or (7, 4). Further, operations on integers, in this representation, can be realized as: (m1, n1) + (m2, n2) = (m1 + m2, n1+ n2), (m1, n1) − (m2, n2) = (n1+ n2, m1 + m2) and (m1, n1) * (m2, n2) = (m1 m2 + n1n2 , n1 m2 + m1n2 ) etc. Similarly, members of sets like Q etc., discussed below can be structured directly or indirectly from N
Set of Rational Numbers denoted by Q, where Q = {a/b, where a and b are integers and b is not 0 } Set of Real Numbers denoted by R. ….. There are different ways of looking at or thinking of Real Numbers. One of the intuitive ways of thinking of real numbers is as the numbers that correspond to the points on a straight line extended infinitely in both the
God made the natural numbers, rest made the man KrÖnecker