In the R programming language, there are three different types of numbers:
numeric typeinteger typecomplex typeLet’s take a closer look at each of the number types listed above:
Note: When we use the
class()function inR, we can check the data type of a number or a variable.
numeric typeThe numeric data type contains any number, whether decimal, positive, or negative. Some examples of the numeric data type are: 1.2, 12, 1000, and -1.5.
a <- -1.5b <- 1c <- 1000d <- 10.5# to check for their data typesclass(a)class(b)class(c)class(d)
integer typeThe integer data type contains either positive or negative numbers without decimals. We add L after the integer value to create an integer type. Examples of the integer data type are -10L and 200L.
a <- -10Lb <- -200Lc <- 20L# to check their data typesclass(a)class(b)class(c)
Note: The
Lafter the integer tellsRto store the value as an integer.
complex typeThe complex data type contains parts of a real and imaginary number. Examples of the complex data type are 1-2i and 3 + 15i. The part with the “i” is the imaginary part.
a <- 1-2ib <- 3 + 15i# to check their data typesclass(a)class(b)
We can convert an integer type to a numeric type and vice-versa by adding as. to the name of the number type we want to convert to:
For example, look at the code below:
# this is a numeric type
a <- 10
# to convert the numeric data type to an integer type
x <- as.integer(a)
To convert a to an integer variable, we create a new variable, x, and the new data type (integer) inside it, by using as.integer(a). The as.integer(a) is used to tell R to convert a to an integer.
a <- 10 # this is a numeric data typeb <- 2L # this is an integer type# to convert from numeric to integer .x <- as.integer(a)# to convert from integer to numericy <- as.numeric(b)# let us see if we have actually converted themxy# now lets check their new data typeclass(x)class(y)