Whole Numbers

Whole Numbers

Number theory grew out of human curiosity concerning properties of the positive integers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . . , also called whole numbers, natural numbers, or counting numbers. These numbers were the first mathematical creation of the human mind; interest in them is as old as civilization itself.
The whole numbers are part of the simplest number system, and is used for counting. The incorporation of negative numbers (-1, -2, -3, . . . ) leads to the integers. [RA] {EB}