Integers

🅟 Mar 19, 2026

  🅤 Jun 11, 2026

Definition 1.

The set of integers is

\[\Z = (\N \times \N) / {\sim},\]

where $\sim$ is an equivalence relation on $\N \times \N$ defined by

\[(a, b) \sim (x, y) \enspace\lrimp\enspace a + y = b + x.\]

Definition 2.

Addition and multiplication on $\Z$ are defined by

\[\begin{align*} [(a, b)] + [(x, y)] &= [(a + x, b + y)], \\ [(a, b)] \cdot [(x, y)] &= [(ax + by,ay + bx)]. \end{align*}\]

Definition 3.

$\N$ is embedded into $\Z$ by

\[\N \to \Z, \quad n \mapsto [(n, 0)].\]

Then we can say

\[\N \subseteq \Z.\]

Definition 4.

The following defines a well-order on $\Z$:

\[[(a, b)] \leq [(x, y)] \enspace\lrimp\enspace a + y \leq b + x.\]

Definition 5.

The set of non-zero integers is

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

Definition 6.

The set of positive integers is

\[\Z^+ = \{z \in \Z : z > 0\}.\]

Note. $\Z^+ = \N^+$.

Definition 7.

The set of negative integers is

\[\Z^- = \{z \in \Z : z < 0\}.\]

Proposition 1.

$(\Z, +, \cdot, 0, 1, \leq)$ is a well-ordered abelian ring.