rational number
1
3.8
- noun
- /ˈræʃənl ˈnʌmbər/
- Specialized
:
número racional
- The students learned that a rational number is any number that can be expressed as the ratio of two integers.
- approximate them by rational numbers
You can approximate a real number as close as you want with rational numbers, but not with integers.
- You can approximate a real number as close as you want with rational numbers, but not with integers.
- And yet the rational numbers are so much smaller than the real numbers.
- But that the rational numbers are countable.
Examples
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OK, so we want to find a rational number between X&Y.
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Evidently there are way, way, way more rational numbers than there are integers.
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And yet the rational numbers are so much smaller than the real numbers.
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Starts off with the natural numbers and then the rational numbers, the real numbers.
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So for example, the rational numbers are countable.
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Whether you're looking at rational numbers, real numbers, complex numbers, or whatever, they form a mathematical structure called a field.
Blog text (9) -
You can approximate a real number as close as you want with rational numbers, but not with integers.
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Talks about the whole numbers, the natural numbers, integers, rational numbers, irrational numbers.
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Consider a fifth grader who requires primary prevention instruction to learn about whole numbers, secondary prevention to learn about rational numbers, and tertiary prevention to boost reading skills.
Academic text (2012) -
A rational number can be written as a fraction, such as 1/2 or 3/4.
Synonyms
20
2.6
A number that shows a part of a whole written as one number over another
1
6.8
A number that can be written as a fraction of two whole numbers
1
3.4
A number that shows a part of a whole with whole numbers on top and bottom, like 3/4
A number written with two whole numbers separated by a line to show part of a whole, like 3/4
Antonyms
- Specialized
1
5.6
A number that cannot be written as a fraction, for example π or √2
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'rational' (expressible as a ratio) modifies 'number', yielding 'a number that can be written as a fraction'. The meaning is directly derived from the constituents and has clear cross-linguistic equivalents, so a learner who knows both words will understand it.
Etymology
Rational number comes from the idea of a ratio, a simple way to compare two whole numbers. Think of sharing a cake into parts and saying 3 out of 4 — a clear 'fraction' — so rational number means a number you can write as one whole number divided by another.