What are Even Numbers?

Tens of thousands of years ago, the first humans probably weren’t aware of the mathematics we study today. But they still made use of basic number concepts to count—an important factor in their daily lives. This is likely how the concept of an even number may have originated. An even number is any number that can be divided into two equal parts. Any number that can’t be divided into two equal parts is an odd number.

Classification of Even numbers

There are three kinds of even numbers: some even numbers are elements of the set of whole numbers, also known as natural numbers. Natural numbers are the numbers we use most often in counting—they include 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on. Another set of even numbers includes the set of integers. Integers are a little bit more complicated because they include both positive and negative numbers. Zero is included in this set, along with all positive and negative whole numbers. The third set of even numbers includes the set of rational numbers. These numbers include fractions, terminating decimals, and repeating decimals.

Examples of Even Numbers

Let’s take a look at some examples of even numbers. In the set of natural numbers, 2, 4, 6, and 8 are all even numbers. In the set of integers, -8, -6, -4, -2, 0, 2, 4, and 6 are all even numbers. When it comes to rational numbers, fractions like 1/2 and 3/4 are even numbers. 0.4, 0.6, and -0.66 are all also even numbers, too.

Even numbers are an important concept in mathematics and have been used by humans for centuries. Knowing how to identify and classify even numbers can be an important part of understanding general number concepts.