Real Numbers

🅟 Mar 20, 2026

  🅤 Jun 20, 2026

Definition 1.

The real number system $\R$ is, up to isomorphism, the unique ordered field that is Dedekind-complete.

The existence of such a field can be shown through construction. See for example Construction of the real numbers (Wikipedia) and its references.

Definition 2.

Based on the construction method, $\Q$ can be embedded into $\R$. Then we can say

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

Definition 3.

The set of non-zero real numbers is

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

Definition 4.

The set of positive real numbers is

\[\R^+ = \{x \in \R : x > 0\}.\]

Definition 5.

The set of negative real numbers is

\[\R^- = \{x \in \R : x < 0\}.\]