How do you find the set in which the real number sqrt93 belongs?

1 Answer
Nov 29, 2016

sqrt(93) is an algebraic irrational number.

Explanation:

The prime factorisation of 93 is:

93 = 3*31

Since not all of the prime factors occur an even number of times (in fact neither of them do), sqrt(93) is irrational.

One way of proving that might go as follows:

Suppose sqrt(93) = p/q for a pair of positive integers p, q with p > q.

Without loss of generality we can assume that this is the smallest such pair of integers.

Then:

(p/q)^2 = 93

So:

p^2 = 93 q^2

Hence p^2 is divisible by both 3 and 31.

Since 3 and 31 are prime, p must also be divisible by 3 and 31 (since factorisation into a product of primes is unique up to a unit).

Hence:

p = 93 k for some integer k and we find:

93q^2 = p^2 = (93 k)^2 = 93^2 k^2

Then dividing both ends by 93 we find:

q^2 = 93 k^2

Hence:

(q/k)^2 = 93

So sqrt(93) = q/k

Now p > q > k, so q, k are a smaller pair of integers whose quotient is sqrt(93), contradicting our assertion that p, q was the smallest such pair.

Hence there is no such pair of integers and sqrt(93) is therefore irrational.

sqrt(93) is also an algebraic number. That is, it is the root of a polynomial equation with rational coefficients, namely:

x^2-93 = 0

Some irrational numbers are algebraic, but most are transcendental. Numbers like e and pi are transcendental: They satisfy no polynomial equation with rational coefficients.