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A simple fraction (also known as a common fraction or vulgar fraction, where vulgar is Latin for "common") is a rational number written as a / b or , where a and b are both integers. [ 9] As with other fractions, the denominator ( b) cannot be zero. Examples include 1 2 , − 8 5 , −8 5 , and 8 −5 .
For example, 1 / 4 , 5 / 6 , and −101 / 100 are all irreducible fractions. On the other hand, 2 / 4 is reducible since it is equal in value to 1 / 2 , and the numerator of 1 / 2 is less than the numerator of 2 / 4 . A fraction that is reducible can be reduced by dividing both the numerator ...
A decimal separator is a symbol that separates the integer part from the fractional part of a number written in decimal form (e.g., "." in 12.45 ). Different countries officially designate different symbols for use as the separator.
[4] [5] These computations are motivated by the development of efficient algorithms to calculate numeric series, as well as the human quest to break records. [ 6 ] [ 7 ] The extensive computations involved have also been used to test supercomputers as well as stress testing consumer computer hardware.
In order to convert a rational number represented as a fraction into decimal form, one may use long division. For example, consider the rational number 5 / 74 : 0.0 675 74 ) 5.00000 4.44 560 518 420 370 500 etc. Observe that at each step we have a remainder; the successive remainders displayed above are 56, 42, 50.
In the 3rd century BCE, Archimedes proved the sharp inequalities 223 ⁄ 71 < π < 22 ⁄ 7, by means of regular 96-gons (accuracies of 2·10 −4 and 4·10 −4, respectively). [ 15 ] In the 2nd century CE, Ptolemy used the value 377 ⁄ 120 , the first known approximation accurate to three decimal places (accuracy 2·10 −5 ). [ 16 ]
For instance, 1/3+1/4 = 7/12, so a notation like would represent the number that would now more commonly be written as the mixed number , or simply the improper fraction . Notation of this form can be distinguished from sequences of numerators and denominators sharing a fraction bar by the visible break in the bar.
The fractional part or decimal part [1] of a non‐negative real number is the excess beyond that number's integer part. The latter is defined as the largest integer not greater than x, called floor of x or . Then, the fractional part can be formulated as a difference : . For a positive number written in a conventional positional numeral system ...