Question

What is the smallest positive integer?

Answer 1

Hint – In this question formulate a number line for all real integers varying from $ - \infty {\text{ to + }}\infty $. Use the concept that the closest integer to 0 lying to the right hand side will be the smallest positive integer.

Complete step-by-step answer:

Now as we see from the number line the increasing order of number is
$............ < - 2 < - 1 < 0 < 1 < 2 < 3 < ...............$
So the smallest positive integer is 1, as 0 cannot be said as a positive integer because can be written as (-0) or (+0) but both are equal to (0), therefore 0 is not a positive integer.
1 is written as (-1) or (+1) but both are not equal.
One is negative integer and other is positive integer.
So the smallest positive integer is 1.
So this is the required answer.

Note – An integer set includes whole numbers and negative whole numbers. Integers can be positive, negative and can be zero. The set of integers can be often denoted by the symbol of Z. The trick part here was that 0 is an integer so why have not taken it as the smallest positive integer. Zero is an integer which is neither negative nor positive.