MHB What Does It Mean for Expressions to Be Non-Integral and Non-Rational?

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Expressions are considered non-integral when they do not consistently yield integer values, as seen in the example $\frac{4y}{x}$, which fails to be integral in x unless x is specifically 1 or a common factor. Non-rational expressions, like $3x\sqrt{y}z^3$, do not always produce rational values; in this case, y must be a perfect square of a rational number for the expression to be rational. The distinction between integral and rational is crucial in understanding the behavior of algebraic expressions. Non-integral and non-rational expressions can lead to undefined or non-standard results in mathematical contexts. Understanding these concepts is essential for accurate mathematical analysis and problem-solving.
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can you explain what it means when they are not "Integral" and not "Rational"?

$\frac{4y}{x} = 4yx^{-1 }$ is not integral in x
$3x\sqrt{y}z^3$ not rational in y
 
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Drain Brain said:
can you explain what it means when they are not "Integral" and not "Rational"?

$\frac{4y}{x} = 4yx^{-1 }$ is not integral in x
$3x\sqrt{y}z^3$ not rational in y

To be integral, your expression needs to always give an integer value. If x is anything but 1 or a common factor of the top, then your first expression will not be integral.

To be rational, your expression needs to always give a rational (fractional) value. If y is anything but a perfect square of a rational number, then the second expression will not be rational.
 
I have been insisting to my statistics students that for probabilities, the rule is the number of significant figures is the number of digits past the leading zeros or leading nines. For example to give 4 significant figures for a probability: 0.000001234 and 0.99999991234 are the correct number of decimal places. That way the complementary probability can also be given to the same significant figures ( 0.999998766 and 0.00000008766 respectively). More generally if you have a value that...

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