Rational Numbers

🅟 Mar 19, 2026

  🅤 Jun 20, 2026

Definition 1.

The field of rational numbers is the fraction field of $\Z$:

\[\Q = \fract \Z.\]

Definition 2.

$\Z$ is embedded into $\Q$ by

\[z \mapsto \frac{z}{1}.\]

Then we can say

\[\N \subseteq \Z \subseteq \Q.\]

Definition 3.

The following defines a total order on $\Q$:

\[\frac{a}{b} \leq \frac{x}{y}\]

if and only if

\[(by > 0 \,\land\, ay \leq bx) \enspace\lor\enspace (by < 0 \,\land\, ay \geq bx).\]

Definition 4.

The set of non-zero rational numbers is

\[\Q^* = \Q \setdif \{0\}.\]

Definition 5.

The set of positive rational numbers is

\[\Q^+ = \{q \in \Q : q > 0\}.\]

Definition 6.

The set of negative rational numbers is

\[\Q^- = \{q \in \Q : q < 0\}.\]