Integers are whole numbers that include zero, positive numbers, and their negative counterparts. They do not have any fractional or decimal parts. Formally, an integer can be zero (0), a positive natural number (1, 2, 3, ...), or the negation of a positive natural number (−1, −2, −3, ...)

. Key points about integers:

• Zero is a special integer that is neither positive nor negative.
• Positive integers are numbers greater than zero (1, 2, 3, ...).
• Negative integers are numbers less than zero (−1, −2, −3, ...).
• The set of all integers is infinite in both positive and negative directions.
• Integers are represented by the symbol ℤ , derived from the German word "Zahlen" meaning "numbers"

Examples of integers include −5, 0, 1, 8, and 97. Numbers like 3.14, 5/2, or √2 are not integers because they have fractional or decimal parts

. In summary, integers are the set of whole numbers that can be positive, negative, or zero, without any fractional or decimal components