Properties of Integers

Last Updated : 19 Apr, 2024

Properties of Integers are the fundamental rules that define how integers behave under various operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. As we know, integers include natural numbers, 0, and negative numbers. Integers are a subset of rational numbers, where the denominator is always 1 for integers. Therefore, many of the properties that hold for rational numbers also hold true for integers.

This article explores the concept of Properties of Integers including Closure Property, Associative Property, Commutative Property, Distributive Property, Identity Property, and Inverse Property. So, let’s start learning about all the properties of integers in this article.

Properties-of-Integers

Table of Content

What are the Properties of Integers?
Closure Property of Integers
Associative Property of Integers
Commutative Property of Integers
Distributive Property of Integers
Identity Property of Integers
Inverse Property of Integers

What are Integers?

Integers are the subsets of Rational Numbers and refer to a set of all such whole numbers that can either be positive, negative, or zero. In other words, integers are numbers that do not have any fractional or decimal parts. Integers can be classified as:

Positive Integers: These are numbers greater than zero and do not have any fractional or decimal components.
- Examples of positive integers are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on.
Negative Integers: These are numbers less than zero and also do not have any fractional or decimal parts.
- Examples of negative integers are -1, -2, -3, -4, -5, and so on.
Zero: Zero is considered an integer, and it is the only integer that is neither positive nor negative. It is represented as 0.

Learn more about Integers.

What are the Properties of Integers?

As we already discussed the integers are the fundamental number in Maths, which includes both positive and negative whole numbers including 0. There are various properties of integers which define the behaviour of integers under various different operations. These 6 properties are:

The following table covers all the properties in brief:

Property	Addition	Subtraction	Multiplication	Division
Closure	a + b ∈ Z	a – b ∈ Z	a × b ∈ Z	a / b ∈ Z
Commutative	a + b = b + a	a – b ≠ b – a	a × b = b × a	a /b ≠ b / a
Associative	(a + b) + c = a + (b + c)	(a – b) – c ≠ a – (b – c)	(a × b) × c ≠ a × (b × c)	(a / b) / c ≠ a / (b / c)
Distributive	a × (b + c) = a × b + a × c	a × (b – c) = a × b – a× c	–	–
Identity	a + 0 = 0 + a = a	–	1 × a = a × 1 = a	–
Inverse	a + a^-1 = a^-1 + a = 0	–	a^-1 × a = a × a^-1 = 1	–

Let’s explore the various properties in detail:

Closure Property of Integers

According to the integers’ closure property, two integers added together, subtracted from one another, or multiplied together always produce an integer.

x + y = z
x – y = z
x × y = z

So, if x and y ∈ Z, then z ∈ Z.

Note: Since the result of dividing two integers may occasionally not be an integer, the closure property of integers does not apply to the division of integers. For instance, we know that the numbers 3 and 5 are integers, but the result of 3 /5 is 0.60, which is not an integer.

The division of integers falls outside the scope of the closure property. It applies to addition, subtraction, and multiplication of integers.

Let’s examine some of the examples of the integer closure attribute that are provided below:

-10+ 7 = -3, where {-10, -3, 7} ∈ Z.
-10- (-8) = -2, where {-10, -8, -2} ∈ Z.
-7 × 1 = -7, where {-7, 1} ∈ Z.

Associative Property of Integers

The associative property of integers under addition and multiplication states that no matter how the integers are grouped, the outcome of addition and multiplication of more than two integers is always the same. This suggests that we have, for any three integers x, y, and z.

x + (y + z) = (x + y) + z = (x + z) + y
x × (y × z) = (x × y) × z = (x × z) × y

Note: Since the order of the numbers is crucial in subtraction and division and cannot be modified, the associative feature of integers does not apply to these operations.

For example, 3 – (8 – 9) = 3 – (-1) = 4. Now, if we change the order to 8 – (3 – 9) = 8 – (-6) = 14. Therefore, 3 – (8 – 9) ≠ 8 – (3 – 9).

Example: Mention which operation satisfies the associative property.

Solution:

Addition: Satisfy the associative property.

Subtraction: Do not satisfy the associative property.

Multiplication: Satisfy the associative property.

Division: Do not satisfy the associative property.

Commutative Property of Integers

The only distinction between the commutative and associative properties of integers is that only two integers are used in the former. According to the commutative property of integers under addition and multiplication, the outcome of adding and multiplying two integers is always the same, regardless of the sequence in which they are added.

This implies, if there are two integers x and y, we have,

x + y = y + x
x × y = y × x

Note: This property does not hold true with subtraction and division operations.

Example: Which operation performing with 2 and 5 holds true for a commutative property? Explain with an example.

Solution:

Operation	Calculation	Result
Addition	2 + 5 = 5 + 2 = 7	Verify Commutative property
Subtraction	2 – 5 ≠ 5 -2	Not Verify Commutative property
Multiplication	2 × 5 = 5 × 2 = 10	Verify Commutative property
Division	2/5 ≠ 5/2	Not Verify Commutative property

Distributive Property of Integers

According to the distributive property of integers, calculations can be made simpler by distributing the multiplication operation over addition and subtraction. This implies that we have for any three integers, x, y, and z.

x × (y + z) = (x × y) + (x × z)
x × (y – z) = (x × y) – (x × z)

For example, what is the value of -5 × 98? This can be written as -5 × (100 – 2). Now by applying the distributive property of integers on this to get (-5 × 100) – (-5 × 2) = -500 – (-10) = – 600 + 10 = -590.

Identity Property of Integers

According to the identity property of integer addition, the outcome of adding any number to 0 is the same number. For example, if ‘a’ is any number, then a + 0 = 0 + a = a .

Let’s use the negative integer -3 as an example. The result of adding 0 to -3 is -3. The outcome remains unchanged. Therefore, we can state that 0 is the identical element of an integer addition.

Also if 1 is multiplied with an integer, it would result in the same integer. So, 1 is the multiplicative identity element for integers. Any integer can be multiplied by 1 to obtain the same result. As an illustration, a ×1 = 1× a = a.

Note: Integers’ identity property does not apply to division and subtraction operations. If we subtract any integer from 0 in the case of subtraction, we shall obtain that number’s additive inverse. Since ‘a’ can be any integer, a – 0 = a, while 0 – a = -a. If ‘m’ is any integer, then m / 1 = m in the case of division of integers, but 1/ m not equal to m. As a result, there is no identity element for integer division and subtraction.

Inverse Property of Integers

Inverse property of integer is the property in which the by performing the inverse operation we get the inverse of the integer. It is valid for only Addition and Multiplication operation but not for subtraction and division.

Two integers whose sum is zero are called additive inverse of each other. By reversing the integer’s sign, one can derive the additive inverse of an integer. For instance, the additive inverse of a number +5 is -5 and a number -3 is +3.

Example: Find the additive inverse of 56.

Solution:

To find the additive inverse of a number we need to reverse its sign

So, additive inverse of 56 is -56.

Two integers whose product is one are called multiplicative inverses of each other. Thus, the multiplicative inverse of any negative number is its reciprocal.

For example, (-3) × (-1/3) = 1, therefore, the multiplicative inverse of -3 is -1/3.

Conclusion

We have discussed all the properties of integers in detail including examples of each property. These properties are:

Closure Property
Commutative Property
Associative Property
Distributive Property
Identity Property
Inverse Property

Each property is equally important to explain various abstract concepts in mathematics.

Read More,

Real Numbers

Properties of Real Numbers

Properties of Whole Numbers

Solved Problem on Properties of Integers

Problem 1: Identify the correct properties of integers in the following:

a) x + y = y + x

b) x × (y – z) = (x × y) – (x × z)

Solution:

a) x + y = y + x is the Commutative property of integers.

b) x × (y – z) = (x × y) – (x × z) is the Distributive property of integers.

Problem 2: Evaluate the expression: (-20 × 15) + (-20 × 18) using the properties of integers.

Solution:

The given expression is (-10 × 15) + (-10 × 18). Using the distributive property of integers, which states (a × b) + (a × c) = a × (b + c). So, here we can take (-10) as common out of both the terms. We get -10 × (15 + 18).

⇒ – 10 × 33

= – 330

Problem 3: Does 0 is the identity element for the subtraction of integers as well as we can subtract 0 from any integer to get the same integer as the answer. State the reason.

Solution:

The identity element for subtraction is not 0, though. It is true that any integer gets the same integer as the answer if 0 is subtracted from it. However, it should also be true in reverse for it to qualify as an identity factor. Any integer can be subtracted from 0 to yield its additive inverse.

Practice Problems on Properties of Integers

Problem 1: Determine whether the following statement is true or false: If a and b are even integers, then a + b is also an even integer.

Problem 2: Prove that for any integer a, a + 0 = a.

Problem 3: If m and n are positive integers such that m > n, prove that m^2 – n^2 is divisible by (m – n).

Problem 4: Show that the product of three consecutive integers is divisible by 6.

Problem 5: Determine whether the integer 27 is a perfect square.

Problem 6: Find two consecutive odd integers whose sum is 44.

Problem 7: Solve for x: 3x – 7 = 2x + 5.

Problem 8: Determine the prime factorization of the integer 36.

Problem 9: Find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of 18 and 24.

Problem 10: Prove that the sum of two even integers is always even.