Final answer:
The FLOOR function is the correct answer as it returns the greatest integer less than or equal to the argument. the correct option is C. FLOOR
Step-by-step explanation:
The function that returns the greatest integer less than or equal to the argument is the FLOOR function. The CEIL, or ceiling function, gives you the smallest integer greater than or equal to the argument, which is the opposite of what we're looking for.
The INT function also rounds down to the nearest integer, but in some contexts, especially in computer science, INT may behave similarly to FLOOR, depending on how it is implemented. However, for most mathematical and programming applications, FLOOR is the standard function to get the greatest integer less than or equal to a given number.
The function you're looking for is one that takes a real number and returns the greatest integer that is less than or equal to that number. Let's discuss each of the functions listed in your multiple-choice question to find the correct one: a. CEIL: The ceiling function (often denoted as `ceil` in programming and mathematical notation) takes any real number and rounds it up to the nearest integer.
If the argument is already an integer, the function returns that integer. Thus, the ceiling function returns the smallest integer greater than or equal to the argument. This is not the function that meets the criteria of the question. b.
INT: In many programming languages, an `int` function or type conversion might exist to convert a real number to an integer by simply truncating the decimal part, without any rounding.
This means that for positive numbers, it effectively acts like the floor function, but for negative numbers, it actually returns the greater integer because it simply truncates the decimal part (e.g., `int(-3.7)` would return `-3`, which is greater than the true floor value `-4`).
The correct option is C. FLOOR