If it has been a while since you’ve studied math, it can be helpful to review fundamental topics. The most basic numbers used in math are those we use to count objects: [latex]1,2,3,4,5,\ldots[/latex] and so on. These are called the counting numbers, or natural numbers.

Whole numbers are all non-negative numbers that have no fractional or decimal part: [latex]0,1,2,3,4,5,6,\ldots[/latex] and so on. Working with whole numbers lays the foundation for working with all other types of numbers.  Using mathematical rules to manipulate whole numbers allows us to better analyze more complex numbers and data collected from the world around us.