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If n is a negative integer, is defined only if x has a multiplicative inverse. [37] In this case, the inverse of x is denoted x −1, and x n is defined as (). Exponentiation with integer exponents obeys the following laws, for x and y in the algebraic structure, and m and n integers:
Unit fractions can also be expressed using negative exponents, as in 2 −1, which ... One way to compare fractions with different numerators and denominators is to ...
By comparison, powers of two with negative exponents are fractions: for positive integer n, 2 −n is one half multiplied by itself n times. Thus the first few negative powers of 2 are 1 / 2 , 1 / 4 , 1 / 8 , 1 / 16 , etc.
Negative numbers: Real numbers that are less than zero. Because zero itself has no sign, neither the positive numbers nor the negative numbers include zero. When zero is a possibility, the following terms are often used: Non-negative numbers: Real numbers that are greater than or equal to zero. Thus a non-negative number is either zero or positive.
The integer n is called the exponent and the real number m is called the significand or mantissa. [1] The term "mantissa" can be ambiguous where logarithms are involved, because it is also the traditional name of the fractional part of the common logarithm. If the number is negative then a minus sign precedes m, as in
Negative powers are not permitted in an ordinary power series; for instance, + + + + is not considered a power series (although it is a Laurent series). Similarly, fractional powers such as x 1 2 {\textstyle x^{\frac {1}{2}}} are not permitted; fractional powers arise in Puiseux series .
Now we can read off the fraction and the exponent: the fraction is .01 2 and the exponent is −3. As illustrated in the pictures, the three fields in the IEEE 754 representation of this number are: sign = 0, because the number is positive. (1 indicates negative.) biased exponent = −3 + the "bias".
Systematic generalizations of this basic definition define the multiplication of integers (including negative numbers), rational numbers (fractions), and real numbers. Multiplication can also be visualized as counting objects arranged in a rectangle (for whole numbers) or as finding the area of a rectangle whose sides have some given lengths.