Descending Order Definition
In Mathematics, Descending order means arranging the numbers in a decreasing manner. It means to write the collection of numbers from highest to lowest numbers in a sequence. This arrangement has also a strong base in Statistics.
Note:
You can read about Statistics in detail here.
Table of Contents
To understand, let us show you a few examples of descending in real life.
- A person moving down from stairs.
- A child sliding down on the slider.
- The rolling ball from the top of the mountain.
- The age list of the family from father to the youngest child.
All the above examples show the representation of the descending order because the largest or highest values stand in the first position while the smallest or lowest values come at the last spot.
Tips to arrange numbers in descending order
To arrange numbers in descending order, you only have the sense to compare the numbers. A student who knows which number is larger and which is smaller can easily arrange numbers in this order. Here are some tips that you can follow to arrange terms in this order.
- You can choose the next term by subtracting “1” from the first term.
- Find the largest number and write it in the first spot.
- Write the smallest number at the end.
- Analyze the numbers after arranging them and make sure that the next term is smaller than the previous one.
Note:
You can read about Term here in detail.
Significance of descending order
Arranging numbers in descending order has great importance in solving various problems of Mathematics and Statistics. By arranging numbers in this format, the process to find Mode, Mean, and Median becomes easier.
These terms are considered the most important terms because of their prominent usage in Statistics. That is why it is important to learn how to arrange numbers in decreasing order.
How to arrange a combination of integers in descending order?
Arranging natural numbers is a simple task because a student can easily compare the numbers to find the biggest and smallest. Arranging integers will be a little complex but we can make it easy for you.
Note:
Read about Natural Numbers here.
The simplest tip we can give you is to make sure that positive numbers will come first and the negative numbers will come at the end of the order. It is because positive numbers are larger than negative numbers.
What is the opposite of descending order?
In Mathematics, you can also arrange the numbers in an increasing order which is the opposite of Descending Order. Arranging numbers in increasing order is called Ascending Order.
Note:
Read about Ascending Order here.
If you are moving from left to right in the number line, you are following Ascending Order. Similarly, your movement from right to left in the number line will show the Descending Order.
Example 1:
Arrange the following numbers in descending order.
3, 4, 5, 9, 8, 7, 10, 11, 6, 12, 2, 16, 17, 15, 14, 13
Solution:
We only have to choose the largest number to fix the first spot of the order. In the above collection, “17” is the largest number. So, we have to write it in the first spot.
17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
Example 2:
Arrange the following numbers in descending order.
-2, -3, 4, 5, 7, -1, -19, 8, 17, 14, -6, 9, 10, -11
Solution:
As we have mentioned above, the positive number will come first. So, we have to find the largest number with a positive sign to write it in the first position
17, 14, 10, 9, 8, 7, 5, 4, -1, -2, -3, -6, -11, -19
The above numbers have been arranged in descending order. The largest number with a positive sign came at the first spot while the largest number with a negative sign came at the last spot.
FAQ's
What does the word descending mean?
Descending means decreasing or lowering.
Can we arrange integers in descending order?
Yes, we can arrange integers in descending order.
What comes first in the descending order a negative integer or a positive integer?
While arranging integers in descending order, a positive number will come first while the negative numbers will come at the end of the order.
