Real Numbers
Chapter 1 of Class 10 Maths, "Real Numbers", covers the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic — which states every composite number has a unique prime factorisation — and uses it to prove that numbers such as √2 and √3 are irrational.
- 1The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic: every composite number has a unique prime factorisation (apart from the order of factors).
- 2HCF of two numbers equals the product of the smallest powers of all common prime factors; LCM equals the product of the greatest powers of all prime factors involved.
- 3For any two positive integers a and b, HCF(a, b) × LCM(a, b) = a × b (this does NOT extend to three numbers).
- 4If a prime p divides a², then p divides a (Theorem 1.2) — the key lemma used to prove irrationality.
- 5√2 and √3 are proved irrational using proof by contradiction together with the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic.
