What type of numbers can be expressed as a ratio of two integers?

Rational numbers are defined as numbers that can be expressed as a fraction, or a ratio, of two integers, where the denominator is not zero. This means that any number in the form ( \frac{a}{b} ), where ( a ) and ( b ) are both integers and ( b \neq 0 ), qualifies as a rational number.

Whole numbers, natural numbers, and integers all fall under different classifications of numbers and may not necessarily always be expressed as a ratio of two integers. For instance, while all natural numbers (like 1, 2, 3, etc.) can be expressed as ratios (such as ( \frac{1}{1} ), ( \frac{2}{1} ), etc.), they are specifically defined as counting numbers starting from zero (in the case of whole numbers) or one (for natural numbers). Integers include both positive and negative whole numbers as well as zero, but again, they are not defined by their ratio properties.

In contrast, rational numbers explicitly include all numbers that can be represented as a ratio of integers, encompassing whole numbers, fractions, and even some integers. Therefore, rational numbers encompass a broader range, clearly aligning with