Definition:Natural Numbers

Informal Definition
The natural numbers are the counting numbers.

The set of natural numbers is denoted $\N$:
 * $\N = \set {0, 1, 2, 3, \ldots}$

The set $\N \setminus \set 0$ is denoted $\N_{>0}$:
 * $\N_{>0} = \set {1, 2, 3, \ldots}$

The set of natural numbers is one of the most important sets in mathematics.

Also known as
The natural numbers are also known as counting numbers, especially in elementary school.

The term proper number can sometimes be seen in popular literature.

Also see

 * Definition:Natural Number Addition