what is an irrational number?

Last Updated on June 29, 2022

An irrational number is a number that cannot be expressed as a rational number, which is any number that can be written as a fraction p/q where p and q are integers. Some well-known irrational numbers include pi (3.14159…) and e (2.71828…). These numbers are important in mathematics and science because they often pop up in calculations. Many times, it is easier to work with an approximate value of an irrational number than the exact value, since the decimal expansion of an irrational number goes on forever without repeating.