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In elementary algebra, root rationalisation (or rationalization) is a process by which radicals in the denominator of an algebraic fraction are eliminated.. If the denominator is a monomial in some radical, say , with k < n, rationalisation consists of multiplying the numerator and the denominator by , and replacing by x (this is allowed, as, by definition, a n th root of x is a number that ...
Rationalisation (mathematics), the process of removing a square root or imaginary number from the denominator of a fraction; Rationalization (psychology), a psychological defense mechanism in which perceived controversial behaviors are logically justified also known as "making excuses"
A common, vulgar, or simple fraction (examples: and ) consists of an integer numerator, displayed above a line (or before a slash like 1 ⁄ 2), and a non-zero integer denominator, displayed below (or after) that line. If these integers are positive, then the numerator represents a number of equal parts, and the denominator indicates how many ...
Although nowadays rational numbers are defined in terms of ratios, the term rational is not a derivation of ratio. On the contrary, it is ratio that is derived from rational: the first use of ratio with its modern meaning was attested in English about 1660, [8] while the use of rational for qualifying numbers appeared almost a century earlier ...
All rational numbers are algebraic. Any rational number, expressed as the quotient of an integer a and a (non-zero) natural number b, satisfies the above definition, because x = a / b is the root of a non-zero polynomial, namely bx − a.
In mathematics, a rational function is any function that can be defined by a rational fraction, which is an algebraic fraction such that both the numerator and the denominator are polynomials. The coefficients of the polynomials need not be rational numbers ; they may be taken in any field K .
In mathematics, the method of clearing denominators, also called clearing fractions, is a technique for simplifying an equation equating two expressions that each are a sum of rational expressions – which includes simple fractions.
In the case of the rational numbers this means that any number has two irreducible fractions, related by a change of sign of both numerator and denominator; this ambiguity can be removed by requiring the denominator to be positive. In the case of rational functions the denominator could similarly be required to be a monic polynomial. [8]