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Properties of Integers

The properties of integers are similar to the properties of whole numbers. Integers follow closure, commutative, associative, distributive, identity, and other properties. Integers are closed under addition and multiplication, but not division. Addition and multiplication are commutative for integers, but subtraction and division are not. Associative properties hold for addition and multiplication of integers. The distributive property holds for integers under multiplication over addition and subtraction. The integers 0 and 1 serve as identity elements for addition and multiplication respectively.

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398 views6 pages

Properties of Integers

The properties of integers are similar to the properties of whole numbers. Integers follow closure, commutative, associative, distributive, identity, and other properties. Integers are closed under addition and multiplication, but not division. Addition and multiplication are commutative for integers, but subtraction and division are not. Associative properties hold for addition and multiplication of integers. The distributive property holds for integers under multiplication over addition and subtraction. The integers 0 and 1 serve as identity elements for addition and multiplication respectively.

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Properties of integers

The same familiar properties of whole numbers also apply to integers. If you're like many
students, whenever you see one of these "properties," you groan inside and think "Why do I have
to learn this stuff?" Believe it or not, the properties of numbers were not invented by evil
mathematicians to torture math students! They are the basic rules of our system of math, and
you'll be using them the rest of your life. It's very important that you understand how to apply
each one when you're solving math problems. When you get to algebra, you'll be making use of
these properties over and over again! Let's look at each one in detail, and in plain English.

Commutative property of addition


The commutative property of addition says that we can add numbers in any order. You can
remember the commutative property by thinking of the numbers "commuting," or changing
places. The example shows us that "negative two plus positive four" is the same as "positive four
plus negative two."

-2 + 4 = 4 + (-2)

Commutative property of multiplication


The commutative property of multiplication is very similar. It says that we can multiply numbers
in any order we want without changing the result. The example shows us that "negative two
times positive four" is the same as "positive four times negative two."

-2(4) = 4(-2)

Associative property of addition


The associative property of addition tells us that we can group numbers in a sum in any way we
want and still get the same answer. You can remember the associative property by thinking of
two numbers associating with each other, and then one leaves to associate with another number.

The example shows us that we can either add "negative two and positive four" together and then
add that sum to positive three to get the final answer, or we can add "positive four and positive
three" together first and then add that sum to negative two to get the final answer. The answer
will be the same no matter which way we do it.

(-2 + 4) + 3 = -2 + (4 + 3)

Associative property of multiplication


The associative property of multiplication tells us that we can group numbers in a product in any
way we want and still get the same answer.

The example shows us that we can either multiply "negative two and positive four" together and
then multiply that product times positive three to get the final answer, or we can multiply
"positive four and positive three" together first and then multiply that product times negative two
to get the final answer. The answer will be the same no matter which way we do it.

-2(4) x 3 = -2(4 x 3)
Distributive property
The distributive property comes into play when an expression involving addition is then multiplied
by something. It tells us that we can add first and then multiply, or multiply first and then add.
Either way, the multiplication is "distributed" over all the terms inside the parentheses.

In the example, we can either add the numbers inside the parentheses first -- 4+3 -- and then
multiply the result by -2; or, we can multiply the -2 and each term separately and then add the
two products together. The answer is the same in both cases.

-2(4 + 3) = (-2 x 4) + (-2 x 3)

Watch out!

Subtraction is neither commutative nor associative.

Division is neither commutative nor associative.

Examples

1. We can add numbers in any order. (Commutative property of addition.)

-2 + 4 = 4 + -2

2. We can multiply numbers in any order. (Commutative property of multiplication)

-2 x 4 = 4 x-2

3. We can group numbers in a sum any way we want. (Associative property of addition.)

(-2 + 4) + 3 = -2 + (4 + 3)

4. We can group numbers in a product any way we want. (Associative property of multiplication)

(-2 x 4) x 3 = -2 x (4 x3)

5. With this type of expression, we can add first, then multiply,

OR

multiply first, then add. (Distributive property of multiplication over addition.)

-2 x (4 + 3) = (-2 x 4) + (-2 x 3)
Summary

Closure property
Closure property under addition:
Integers are closed under addition, i.e. for any two integers a and b, a + b is an integer. 
Ex: 3 + 4 = 7; (– 9) + 7 = – 2.

Closure property under subtraction:


Integers are closed under subtraction, i.e. for any two integers a and b, a – b is an integer.
Ex: (– 21) – (– 9) = (– 12); 8 – 3 = 5.

Closure property under multiplication:


Integers are closed under multiplication, i.e. for any two integers a and b, ab is an integer.
Ex: 5 × 6 = 30; (– 9) × (– 3) = 27.

Closure property under division:


Integers are not closed under division, i.e. for any two integers a and b, ab

may not be an integer.


Ex:(– 2) ÷ (– 4) = 12

Commutative property
Commutative property under addition:
Addition is commutative for integers.  For any two integers a and b, a + b = b + a.
Ex: 5 + (– 6) = 5 – 6 = – 1;
(– 6) + 5 = – 6 + 5 = –1
∴ 5 + (– 6) = (– 6) + 5.

Commutative property under subtraction:


Subtraction is not commutative for integers.  For any two integers a and b, a – b ≠ b – a.
Ex: 8 – (– 6) = 8 + 6 = 14;
(– 6) – 8 = – 6 – 8 = – 14
∴ 8 – (– 6) ≠ – 6 – 8.

Commutative property under multiplication:


Multiplication is commutative for integers.  For any two integers a and b, ab = ba.
Ex: 9 × (– 6) = – (9 × 6) = – 54;
(– 6) × 9 = – (6 × 9) = – 54
∴ 9 × (– 6) = (– 6) × 9.

Commutative property under division:


Division is not commutative for integers.  For any two integers a and b, a ÷ b ≠ b ÷ a.
Ex: (– 14) ÷ 2 = – 7
2 ÷ (–14) = – 17
(– 14) ÷ 2 ≠ 2 ÷ (–14).

Associative property
Associative property under addition:
Addition is associative for integers. For any three integers a, b and c, a + (b + c) = (a + b) + c
Ex: 5 + (– 6 + 4) = 5 + (– 2) = 3;
(5 – 6) + 4 = (– 1) + 4 = 3
∴ 5 + (– 6 + 4) = (5 – 6) + 4.

Associative property under subtraction:


Subtraction is associative for integers.  For any three integers a, b and c, a – (b – c) ≠ (a – b) – c
Ex: 5 – (6 – 4) = 5 – 2 = 3;
(5 – 6) – 4 = – 1 – 4 = – 5
∴ 5 – (6 – 4) ≠ (5 – 6) – 4.

Associative property under multiplication:


Multiplication is associative for integers. For any three integers a, b and c, (a × b) × c = a × (b × c)
Ex: [(– 3) × (– 2)] × 4 = (6 × 4) = 24
(– 3) × [(– 2) × 4] = (– 3) × (– 8) = 24
∴ [(– 3) × (– 2)] × 4 = [(– 3) × (– 2) × 4].

Associative property under division:


Division is not associative for integers.

Distributive property
Distributive property of multiplication over addition:
For any three integers a, b and c, a × (b + c) = (a × b) + (a × c).
Ex: – 2 (4 + 3) =  –2 (7)  = –14
                      = (– 2 × 4) + (– 2 × 3)
                      = (– 8) + (– 6)
                      = – 14.

Distributive property of multiplication over subtraction:


For any three integers, a, b and c, a × (b - c) = (a × b) – (a × c).
Ex: – 2 (4 – 3) = – 2 (1) = – 2
                     = (–2 × 4) – (– 2 × 3)
                     = (– 8) – (– 6)
                     = – 2.
The distributive property of multiplication over the operations of addition and subtraction is true in the
case of integers.

Identity under addition:


Integer 0 is the identity under addition.  That is, for any integer a, a + 0 = 0 + a = a.
Ex: 4 + 0 = 0 + 4 = 4.

Identity under multiplication:


The integer 1 is the identity under multiplication. That is, for any integer a, 1 × a = a × 1 = a.
Ex: (– 4) × 1 = 1 × (– 4) = – 4.
When an integer is multiplied by –1, the result is the integer with sign changed i.e. the additive identity
of the integer.
For any integer a, a × –1 = –1 × a = –a.

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