In mathematics, value may refer to several, strongly related notions.
In general, a mathematical value may be any definite
mathematical object
A mathematical object is an abstract concept arising in mathematics.
In the usual language of mathematics, an ''object'' is anything that has been (or could be) formally defined, and with which one may do deductive reasoning and mathematical ...
. In
elementary mathematics, this is most often a
number
A number is a mathematical object used to count, measure, and label. The original examples are the natural numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and so forth. Numbers can be represented in language with number words. More universally, individual numbers ...
– for example, a
real number
In mathematics, a real number is a number that can be used to measurement, measure a ''continuous'' one-dimensional quantity such as a distance, time, duration or temperature. Here, ''continuous'' means that values can have arbitrarily small var ...
such as or an
integer
An integer is the number zero (), a positive natural number (, , , etc.) or a negative integer with a minus sign ( −1, −2, −3, etc.). The negative numbers are the additive inverses of the corresponding positive numbers. In the language ...
such as 42.
* The value of a
variable or a
constant is any number or other mathematical object assigned to it.
* The value of a
mathematical expression is the result of the computation described by this expression when the variables and constants in it are assigned values.
* The value of a
function, given the value(s) assigned to its
argument
An argument is a statement or group of statements called premises intended to determine the degree of truth or acceptability of another statement called conclusion. Arguments can be studied from three main perspectives: the logical, the dialect ...
(s), is the quantity assumed by the function for these argument values.
[
]
For example, if the function is defined by , then assigning the value 3 to its argument yields the function value 10, since .
If the variable, expression or function only assumes
real values, it is called real-valued. Likewise, a complex-valued variable, expression or function only assumes
complex values.
See also
*
Value function
*
Value (computer science)
*
Absolute value
*
Truth value
In logic and mathematics, a truth value, sometimes called a logical value, is a value indicating the relation of a proposition to truth, which in classical logic has only two possible values ('' true'' or ''false'').
Computing
In some prog ...
References
{{reflist
Elementary mathematics
nl:Reëel-waardige functie