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Most decimal fractions (or most fractions in general) cannot be represented exactly as a fraction with a denominator that is a power of two. For example, the simple decimal fraction 0.3 (3 ⁄ 10) might be represented as 5404319552844595 ⁄ 18014398509481984 (0.299999999999999988897769…). This inexactness causes many problems that are ...
The entire fraction may be expressed as a single composition, in which case it is hyphenated, or as a number of fractions with a numerator of one, in which case they are not. (For example, two-fifths is the fraction 2 / 5 and two fifths is the same fraction understood as 2 instances of 1 / 5 .) Fractions should always be ...
Similarly, if the final digit on the right of the decimal mark is zero—that is, if b n = 0 —it may be removed; conversely, trailing zeros may be added after the decimal mark without changing the represented number; [note 1] for example, 15 = 15.0 = 15.00 and 5.2 = 5.20 = 5.200. For representing a negative number, a minus sign is placed ...
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:
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.
Decimal: The standard Hindu–Arabic numeral system using base ten. Binary: The base-two numeral system used by computers, with digits 0 and 1. Ternary: The base-three numeral system with 0, 1, and 2 as digits. Quaternary: The base-four numeral system with 0, 1, 2, and 3 as digits.
In mathematics, "rational" is often used as a noun abbreviating "rational number". The adjective rational sometimes means that the coefficients are rational numbers. For example, a rational point is a point with rational coordinates (i.e., a point whose coordinates are rational numbers); a rational matrix is a matrix of rational numbers; a rational polynomial may be a polynomial with rational ...
This decimal format can also represent any binary fraction a/2 m, such as 1/8 (0.125) or 17/32 (0.53125). More generally, a rational number a/b, with a and b relatively prime and b positive, can be exactly represented in binary fixed point only if b is a power of 2; and in decimal fixed point only if b has no prime factors other than 2 and/or 5.