This is a definition question. Mathematically negative numbers are not whole numbers. This information is of little value without context though.
Poll: Is “-3” a whole number?
11–15 of 15 posts
Re: Poll: Is “-3” a whole number?
#12It's a hole number. Minus three means three things are missing leaving three holes.
this sounds like "it's holes all the way down"
Re: Poll: Is “-3” a whole number?
#13https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/real-numbers.html
Note that 'real numbers' include 'whole numbers' as a sub-set.
Re: Poll: Is “-3” a whole number?
#14Never met a whole -3 pizzas, nor a whole 0 pizzas for that matter. That should be enough for you to deduce what I believe whole numbers are. I should add, for a mathematical audience, I'd be careful, because of possible confusion, and insist on saying positive integers, and non-negative integers in the case of what I'd call the natural numbers.
Pragmatically I believe you are correct. I think negative whole numbers and zero are also a subset of "whole numbers" along with positive whole numbers.
I believe you meant "real numbers" rather than your quoted "whole numbers" in your second sentence.
Re: Poll: Is “-3” a whole number?
#15For me it was defined as the non-negative integers in middle school, the same moment the naturals were defined to be the positive integers.