Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Ratio. In mathematics, a ratio (/ ˈreɪʃ (i) oʊ /) shows how many times one number contains another. For example, if there are eight oranges and six lemons in a bowl of fruit, then the ratio of oranges to lemons is eight to six (that is, 8:6, which is equivalent to the ratio 4:3). Similarly, the ratio of lemons to oranges is 6:8 (or 3:4) and ...
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 .
In mathematics, a harmonic progression (or harmonic sequence) is a progression formed by taking the reciprocals of an arithmetic progression. Equivalently, a sequence is a harmonic progression when each term is the harmonic mean of the neighboring terms. As a third equivalent characterization, it is an infinite sequence of the form.
Every terminating decimal representation can be written as a decimal fraction, a fraction whose denominator is a power of 10 (e.g. 1.585 = 1585 / 1000 ); it may also be written as a ratio of the form k / 2 n ·5 m (e.g. 1.585 = 317 / 2 3 ·5 2 ).
An interesting feature of ancient Egyptian mathematics is the use of unit fractions. [7] The Egyptians used some special notation for fractions such as 1 / 2 , 1 / 3 and 2 / 3 and in some texts for 3 / 4 , but other fractions were all written as unit fractions of the form 1 / n or sums of such unit ...
Continued fraction. A finite regular continued fraction, where is a non-negative integer, is an integer, and is a positive integer, for . In mathematics, a continued fraction is an expression obtained through an iterative process of representing a number as the sum of its integer part and the reciprocal of another number, then writing this ...
The Chinese mathematician Liu Hui in 263 CE computed π to between 3.141 024 and 3.142 708 by inscribing a 96-gon and 192-gon; the average of these two values is 3.141 866 (accuracy 9·10 −5). He also suggested that 3.14 was a good enough approximation for practical purposes.
For example, given that there is a pattern of odds of 5/4, 7/4, 9/4 and so on, odds which are mathematically 3/2 are more easily compared if expressed in the equivalent form 6/4. Fractional odds are also known as British odds, UK odds, [9] or, in that country, traditional odds. They are typically represented with a "/" but can also be ...