What type of numbers are described as indicating position or order?

Ordinal numbers are those that indicate position or order within a sequence. They are used to describe the rank or placement of items, such as first, second, third, and so on. This form of numbering is crucial in situations where the order of items is significant, such as in races, competitions, or lists where arrangement matters.

In contrast, cardinal numbers represent quantity rather than position. For instance, numbers like one, two, and three denote how many of something there are without expressing any order. Rational numbers include all numbers that can be expressed as a fraction of two integers, while imaginary numbers pertain to numbers that involve the square root of negative one. Neither of these types is concerned with sequence or ranking, thus reinforcing why ordinal numbers are the focus when discussing position or order.