What are arithmetic operations in mathematics?

Arithmetic is an elementary branch of mathematics dealing with numerical operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. In a wider sense, it also includes exponentiation, root extraction, and logarithms. These systems operate across various types of numbers, ranging from integers to real numbers, and employ different numeral systems like decimal or binary.

What we know

• Arithmetic is an elementary branch of mathematics that deals with numerical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. [2, 5]
• In a wider sense, arithmetic also includes exponentiation, extraction of roots, and taking logarithms. [2]
• Integer arithmetic involves calculations with positive and negative integers, while rational number arithmetic involves operations on fractions of integers. [2]
• Decimal arithmetic uses numerals from 0 to 9, whereas binary arithmetic represents numbers using combinations of 0 and 1. [2]

Where to go next

• how it workedHow do computers perform binary arithmetic?
• the bigger pictureWhat role does arithmetic play in algebra and calculus?
• whenHow did ancient civilizations develop early numeral systems?
• a case in pointWhat is the IEEE 754 standard for floating-point arithmetic?
• what followedHow does an arithmetic logic unit work in a CPU?
• an unexpected connectionHow does floating-point arithmetic standardize computer calculations?While basic arithmetic is thousands of years old, modern computer systems require rigorous technical standards like IEEE 754 to handle fractional and floating-point calculations reliably across different hardware.

Sources

• [1]arithmetic (Wikidata Q11205) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Arithmetic · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Arithmetic logic unit · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]IEEE 754 · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Elementary arithmetic · CC BY-SA 4.0