Definition:Addition/Real Numbers

Definition

The addition operation in the domain of real numbers $\R$ is written $+$.

From the definition, the real numbers are the set of all equivalence classes $\eqclass {\sequence {x_n} } {}$ of Cauchy sequences of rational numbers.

Let $x = \eqclass {\sequence {x_n} } {}, y = \eqclass {\sequence {y_n} } {}$, where $\eqclass {\sequence {x_n} } {}$ and $\eqclass {\sequence {y_n} } {}$ are such equivalence classes.

Then $x + y$ is defined as:

$\eqclass {\sequence {x_n} } {} + \eqclass {\sequence {y_n} } {} = \eqclass {\sequence {x_n + y_n} } {}$

Also see

• Real Addition is Well-Defined

• Real Addition is Commutative
• Real Addition is Associative

• Real Addition Identity is Zero
• Inverse for Real Addition

Sources

• 1964: Iain T. Adamson: Introduction to Field Theory ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $\text {I}$: Elementary Definitions: $\S 1$. Rings and Fields
• 1971: Wilfred Kaplan and Donald J. Lewis: Calculus and Linear Algebra ... (previous) ... (next): Introduction: Review of Algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry: $\text{0-1}$: The Real Numbers
• 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): addition
• 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): addition