Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
integer
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Videos
Understand the use of integers to count infinity
Quizzes
Equations written on blackboard
Numbers and Mathematics
Italian-born physicist Dr. Enrico Fermi draws a diagram at a blackboard with mathematical equations. circa 1950.
Define It: Math Terms
Read Next
number zero, 0 balloon
Is Zero an Even or an Odd Number?
Discover
Thanksgiving Turkey with all the sides
Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?
Super Typhoon Noru over the western tropical Pacific Ocean as observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA Aqua satellite July 31 2017
What Is the Difference Between a Typhoon and a Super Typhoon?
Diverse elementary school children wearing school uniforms running outside of school. Boys girls
Pro and Con: School Uniforms
Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1855), founder of the house of Rothschild; lithograph by Friedrich Lieder, c. 1830.
Where Do Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories About the Rothschild Family Come From?
An ancient egyptian hieroglyphic painted carving showing the falcon headed god Horus seated on a throne and holding a golden fly whisk. Before him are the Pharoah Seti and the goddess Isis. Interior wall of the temple to Osiris at Abydos, Egypt.
11 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Santa Claus flying in his sleigh, christmas, reindeer
Was Santa Claus a Real Person?
New York NY/ USA- November 23, 2018 Hordes of shoppers throng the Macy's Herald Square flagship store in New York looking for bargains on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday.
Why Is It Called Black Friday?

integer

mathematics
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/science/integer
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History
Key People:
Klaus Friedrich Roth

integer, whole-valued positive or negative number or 0. The integers are generated from the set of counting numbers 1, 2, 3,… and the operation of subtraction. When a counting number is subtracted from itself, the result is zero; for example, 4 − 4 = 0. When a larger number is subtracted from a smaller number, the result is a negative whole number; for example, 2 − 3 = −1. In this way, every integer can be derived from the counting numbers, resulting in a set of numbers closed under the operation of subtraction (see group theory).

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Erik Gregersen.