Käänteisluvulle

Käänteisluvulle is a Finnish term that translates to "inverse" or "reciprocal" in English, commonly used in mathematics. It refers to a number that, when multiplied by a given number, results in the multiplicative identity, which is 1. For any non-zero number x, its inverse or reciprocal is denoted as 1/x or x⁻¹. The product of a number and its inverse is always 1, meaning x * (1/x) = 1.

This concept is fundamental in arithmetic and algebra. For example, the inverse of 5 is 1/5, because 5 * (1/5) = 1. Similarly, the inverse of -3 is -1/3, as (-3) * (-1/3) = 1. Fractions also have inverses; the inverse of a/b is b/a, provided that a and b are not zero. This is because (a/b) * (b/a) = ab/ba = 1. The number zero does not have a multiplicative inverse because there is no number that can be multiplied by zero to equal 1. The concept of an inverse is also crucial in solving equations, as multiplying both sides of an equation by the inverse of a coefficient can isolate the variable. In essence, the inverse "undoes" the operation of multiplication.

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