what is a integer

An integer is a whole number that can be positive, negative, or zero. It is a Latin word that means "whole" or "intact". Integers do not include fractions or decimals. Examples of integers are -5, 1, 5, 8, 97, and 3,043. The set of integers is denoted by the symbol Z and is formally defined as follows: Z = {..., -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ...} . In mathematical equations, unknown or unspecified integers are represented by lowercase, italicized letters from the "late middle" of the alphabet, such as p, q, r, and s. Integers are used in many real-life situations, such as players scores in sports tournaments, movie or song ratings, and bank credits and debits.