Definition:Multiplicative Inverse/Number
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Definition
Let $\Bbb F$ be one of the standard number fields: $\Q$, $\R$, $\C$.
Let $a \in \Bbb F$ be any arbitrary number.
The multiplicative inverse of $a$ is its inverse under addition and can be denoted: $a^{-1}$, $\dfrac 1 a$, $1 / a$, and so on.
- $a \times a^{-1} = 1$
Also known as
The multiplicative inverse of a number is often referred to as its reciprocal.
Sources
- 1967: Michael Spivak: Calculus ... (previous) ... (next): Part $\text I$: Prologue: Chapter $1$: Basic Properties of Numbers: $(\text P 7)$