real number

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Noun

real number (plural real numbers)

1. (mathematics) The limit of a convergent sequence of rational numbers, whether the limit is a rational number such as 2, -5, or 2/7 or whether the limit is an irrational number such as the square root of two or the circumference of the circle whose radius is one.

   Every integer is a real number, but not vice versa.

   A real number can be regarded abstractly as an equivalence class of Cauchy sequences of real numbers.^{P-adic_number#Analytic_approach}

2. (computing) A floating-point number.

   Even if you pass sqrt an integer, it returns a real number.

Antonyms

• imaginary number

Translations

• French: nombre réel
• German: reelle Zahl
• Italian: numero reale
• Portuguese: número real
• Russian: вещественное число́
• Spanish: número real

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