Math Is Fun Forum

Nithya

Guest

Mathematics

whether the statement is  true or false " ZERO IS THE SMALLEST EVEN WHOLE NUMBER"

anonimnystefy

Real Member

From: Harlan's World

Registered: 2011-05-23

Posts: 16,049

Re: Mathematics

That statement is false.

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“Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.
“Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment
The knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Mathematics

Hi;

There is no smallest even or odd integer. Welcome to the forum.

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,643

Re: Mathematics

hi Nithya

welcome to the forum.

Check out this link:

http://www.mathsisfun.com/whole-numbers.html

That makes the statement TRUE.

Bob

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

anonimnystefy

Real Member

From: Harlan's World

Registered: 2011-05-23

Posts: 16,049

Re: Mathematics

Hi Bob

The Wiki page also includes the while set of inetegrs as a possible interpretation of the phrase 'whole numbers', thus the confusion.

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“Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.
“Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment
The knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Mathematics

Hi;

Yes, in some interpretations the whole numbers and the integers are the same. The question is ambiguous.

This is the best explanation I could find:

One of the numbers 1, 2, 3, ...  also called the counting numbers or natural numbers. 0 is sometimes included in the list of "whole" numbers (Bourbaki 1968, Halmos 1974), but there seems to be no general agreement. Some authors also interpret "whole number" to mean "a number having fractional part of zero," making the whole numbers equivalent to the integers.

Due to lack of standard terminology, the following terms are recommended in preference to "counting number," "natural number," and "whole number."

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,643

Re: Mathematics

Once again, we stumble on the issue of a definition.  There is no one reliable dictionary of mathematical terms.  That's why I looked on MIF.  Obviously, I am happy to take that as the best source of information. 

Bob

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob