Why is a multiple defined to require an integer?

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Per Wikipedia, a multiple is the product of any quantity and an integer. The requirement for an integer strikes me as subjective. Why do we define a multiple in a manner that require an integer be present in the multiplication step.

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It's a shorthand way of saying "integral multiple". If something occurs "multiple times", it typically means "a whole number of times". It's just quicker and easier to speak of a "multiple" of something rather than "a positive integral multiple" (that's too wordy).

There are of course other types of multiples, for example:

  • a rational multiple of pi
  • a scalar multiple of a vector
  • a real multiple of a complex number