Rational and Irrational numbers

In summary, the conversation discusses the function f defined on the real line and its set of discontinuities D. The function is defined differently for rational and irrational values of x, and the set of discontinuities is the entire real number set excluding 0. The conversation also suggests plotting the function to get a better understanding.
  • #1
Charles49
87
0

Homework Statement


Let f be the function defined on the real line by

[tex]
f(x)=
\begin{cases} \frac{x}{3} & \text{if $x$ is rational }
\\
\frac{x}{4} &\text{if $x$ is irrational.}
\end{cases}
[/tex]

Let D be the set of points of discontinuities of f. What is D?

Homework Equations



None

The Attempt at a Solution



How do you answer this?
 
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  • #2
Well, perhaps it would be good if you would first try to "plot" the function. You can't plot it accurately, but you can get an idea. What does the plot look like? What can you conclude?
 
  • #3
Ok I got it, D is the entire real number set excluding 0.
 
  • #4
Yep, that's it! :smile:
 

1. What is the difference between rational and irrational numbers?

Rational numbers are numbers that can be expressed as a ratio of two integers. Irrational numbers, on the other hand, cannot be expressed as a ratio of two integers and have an infinite number of decimal places.

2. How do you determine if a number is rational or irrational?

A number can be determined to be rational or irrational through its decimal representation. If the decimal representation terminates or repeats, the number is rational. If the decimal representation does not have a pattern and continues infinitely, the number is irrational.

3. Can a number be both rational and irrational?

No, a number cannot be both rational and irrational. It is either one or the other.

4. Are all square roots irrational numbers?

No, not all square roots are irrational numbers. Only the square roots of non-perfect square numbers are irrational. For example, the square root of 4 is rational (2), but the square root of 2 is irrational.

5. How are rational and irrational numbers used in real life?

Rational numbers are commonly used in everyday situations, such as measuring ingredients for a recipe or calculating money. Irrational numbers are often used in fields such as mathematics, physics, and engineering to represent values that cannot be precisely measured or expressed as a rational number.

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