Integer Integer An integer (from the Latin "integer" meaning "whole") is a number that can be written without a fractional component. For example, 21, 4, 0, and −2048 are integers, while 9.75, , and are not. The set of integers consists of zero (), the positive natural numbers (, , , …), also called "whole numbers" or "counting numbers", and their additive inverses (the negative integers, i.e., −1, −2, −3, …). The set of integers is often denoted by a boldface Z ("") or blackboard bold formula_1 (Unicode U+2124 ℤ) standing for the German word "Zahlen" (, "numbers"). The integers form
Integer-valued polynomial Integer-valued polynomial In mathematics, an integer-valued polynomial (also known as a numerical polynomial) "P"("t") is a polynomial whose value "P"("n") is an integer for every integer "n". Every polynomial with integer coefficients is integer-valued, but the converse is not true. For example, the polynomial takes on integer values whenever "t" is an integer. That is because one of "t" and "t" + 1 must be an even number. (The values this polynomial takes are the triangular numbers.) Integer-valued polynomials are objects of study in their own right in algebra, and frequently appear in algebraic topology. The class of integer-valued polynomials