[Math] What set does $\mathbb W$ denote

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What set does $\mathbb W$ denote?

I know this may horribly lack context, but I've seen multiple times on M.SE $\mathbb W$ used in some fairly elementary context I think.

Best Answer

In an elementary context, $\Bbb W$ means the set of whole numbers. Some books have it as

$$\Bbb W=\{0,1,2,\ldots\}$$

while others have it as

$$\Bbb W=\{1,2,\ldots\}$$

Because of the ambiguity, I recommend that you avoid the use of $\Bbb W$. For the second meaning use $\Bbb Z^+$. There still is no perfect abbreviation for the first. Either meaning is also called the Natural numbers, although usually the Whole numbers are meant to be different from the Natural numbers. Again, we see the ambiguity: even if the Whole and Natural numbers are different, which is which? See the Wikipedia articles for a variety of notations for these sets, most of which are far from perfect.

I have occasionally seen the phrase "whole numbers" used for the Integers, which includes negative numbers such as $-1,-2,\ldots$ and is usually written $\Bbb Z$. But I have never seen the notation $\Bbb W$ used in that way.

As @RenatoFaraone points out, in an advanced context $W(x)$ probably means the Lambert W function. But I have never seen that written in the "blackboard bold" style that $\Bbb W$ uses.

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