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
Counting sort key as well, then the second and third loops of counting sort can be combined; in the second loop, instead of computing the position where items with key codice_2 should be placed in the output, simply append codice_8 copies of the number codice_2 to the output. This algorithm may also be used to eliminate duplicate keys, by replacing the codice_10 array with a bit vector that stores a codice_11 for a key that is present in the input and a codice_12 for a key that is not present. If additionally the items are the integer keys themselves, both second and