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That is, fractions of the form a/10 n, where a is an integer, and n is a non-negative integer. Decimal fractions also result from the addition of an integer and a fractional part; the resulting sum sometimes is called a fractional number. Decimals are commonly used to approximate real numbers.
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.
Unless specified by context, numbers without subscript are considered to be decimal. By using a dot to divide the digits into two groups, one can also write fractions in the positional system. For example, the base 2 numeral 10.11 denotes 1×2 1 + 0×2 0 + 1×2 −1 + 1×2 −2 = 2.75. In general, numbers in the base b system are of the form:
Evolution of Indian numerals into Arabic numerals and their adoption in Europe. Positional decimal notation including a zero symbol was developed in India, using symbols visually distinct from those that would eventually enter into international use. As the concept spread, the sets of symbols used in different regions diverged over time.
A real number can be expressed by a finite number of decimal digits only if it is rational and its fractional part has a denominator whose prime factors are 2 or 5 or both, because these are the prime factors of 10, the base of the decimal system. Thus, for example, one half is 0.5, one fifth is 0.2, one-tenth is 0.1, and one fiftieth is 0.02.
To change 1 / 3 to a decimal, divide 1.000... by 3 (" 3 into 1.000... "), and stop when the desired accuracy is obtained, e.g., at 4 decimals with 0.3333. The fraction 1 / 4 can be written exactly with two decimal digits, while the fraction 1 / 3 cannot be written exactly as a decimal with a finite number of digits.
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Dot-decimal notation is a presentation format for numerical data. It consists of a string of decimal numbers, using the full stop (dot) as a separation character. [1]A common use of dot-decimal notation is in information technology where it is a method of writing numbers in octet-grouped base-10 numbers. [2]