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In Lowest Terms
An irreducible fraction (or fraction in lowest terms, simplest form or reduced fraction) is a fraction in which the numerator and denominator are integers that have no other common divisors than 1 (and −1, when negative numbers are considered). In other words, a fraction is irreducible if and only if ''a'' and ''b'' are coprime, that is, if ''a'' and ''b'' have a greatest common divisor of 1. In higher mathematics, "irreducible fraction" may also refer to rational fractions such that the numerator and the denominator are coprime polynomials. Every rational number can be represented as an irreducible fraction with positive denominator in exactly one way.. An equivalent definition is sometimes useful: if ''a'' and ''b'' are integers, then the fraction is irreducible if and only if there is no other equal fraction such that or , where means the absolute value of ''a''. (Two fractions and are ''equal'' or ''equivalent'' if and only if ''ad'' = ''bc''.) For example, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fraction (mathematics)
A fraction (from , "broken") represents a part of a whole or, more generally, any number of equal parts. When spoken in everyday English, a fraction describes how many parts of a certain size there are, for example, one-half, eight-fifths, three-quarters. A ''common'', ''vulgar'', or ''simple'' fraction (examples: and ) consists of an integer numerator, displayed above a line (or before a slash like ), and a division by zero, 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 of those parts make up a unit or a whole. For example, in the fraction , the numerator 3 indicates that the fraction represents 3 equal parts, and the denominator 4 indicates that 4 parts make up a whole. The picture to the right illustrates of a cake. Fractions can be used to represent ratios and division (mathematics), division. Thus the fraction can be used to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prime Factorization
In mathematics, integer factorization is the decomposition of a positive integer into a product of integers. Every positive integer greater than 1 is either the product of two or more integer factors greater than 1, in which case it is a composite number, or it is not, in which case it is a prime number. For example, is a composite number because , but is a prime number because it cannot be decomposed in this way. If one of the factors is composite, it can in turn be written as a product of smaller factors, for example . Continuing this process until every factor is prime is called prime factorization; the result is always unique up to the order of the factors by the prime factorization theorem. To factorize a small integer using mental or pen-and-paper arithmetic, the simplest method is trial division: checking if the number is divisible by prime numbers , , , and so on, up to the square root of . For larger numbers, especially when using a computer, various more sophis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diophantine Approximation
In number theory, the study of Diophantine approximation deals with the approximation of real numbers by rational numbers. It is named after Diophantus of Alexandria. The first problem was to know how well a real number can be approximated by rational numbers. For this problem, a rational number ''p''/''q'' is a "good" approximation of a real number ''α'' if the absolute value of the difference between ''p''/''q'' and ''α'' may not decrease if ''p''/''q'' is replaced by another rational number with a smaller denominator. This problem was solved during the 18th century by means of simple continued fractions. Knowing the "best" approximations of a given number, the main problem of the field is to find sharp upper and lower bounds of the above difference, expressed as a function of the denominator. It appears that these bounds depend on the nature of the real numbers to be approximated: the lower bound for the approximation of a rational number by another rational number i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anomalous Cancellation
An anomalous cancellation or accidental cancellation is a particular kind of arithmetic procedural error that gives a numerically correct answer. An attempt is made to reduce a fraction A fraction (from , "broken") represents a part of a whole or, more generally, any number of equal parts. When spoken in everyday English, a fraction describes how many parts of a certain size there are, for example, one-half, eight-fifths, thre ... by cancelling individual digits in the numerator and denominator. This is not a legitimate operation, and does not in general give a correct answer, but in some rare cases the result is numerically the same as if a correct procedure had been applied. The trivial cases of cancelling trailing zeros or where all of the digits are equal are ignored. Examples of anomalous cancellations which still produce the correct result include (these and their inverses are all the cases in base 10 with the fraction different from 1 and with two digits): The a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monic Polynomial
In algebra, a monic polynomial is a non-zero univariate polynomial (that is, a polynomial in a single variable) in which the leading coefficient (the nonzero coefficient of highest degree) is equal to 1. That is to say, a monic polynomial is one that can be written as :x^n+c_x^+\cdots+c_2x^2+c_1x+c_0, with n \geq 0. Uses Monic polynomials are widely used in algebra and number theory, since they produce many simplifications and they avoid divisions and denominators. Here are some examples. Every polynomial is associated to a unique monic polynomial. In particular, the unique factorization property of polynomials can be stated as: ''Every polynomial can be uniquely factorized as the product of its leading coefficient and a product of monic irreducible polynomials.'' Vieta's formulas are simpler in the case of monic polynomials: ''The th elementary symmetric function of the roots of a monic polynomial of degree equals (-1)^ic_, where c_ is the coefficient of the th po ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Unique Factorization Domain
In mathematics, a unique factorization domain (UFD) (also sometimes called a factorial ring following the terminology of Bourbaki) is a ring in which a statement analogous to the fundamental theorem of arithmetic holds. Specifically, a UFD is an integral domain (a nontrivial commutative ring in which the product of any two non-zero elements is non-zero) in which every non-zero non- unit element can be written as a product of irreducible elements, uniquely up to order and units. Important examples of UFDs are the integers and polynomial rings in one or more variables with coefficients coming from the integers or from a field. Unique factorization domains appear in the following chain of class inclusions: Definition Formally, a unique factorization domain is defined to be an integral domain ''R'' in which every non-zero element ''x'' of ''R'' which is not a unit can be written as a finite product of irreducible elements ''p''''i'' of ''R'': : ''x'' = ''p''1 ''p''2 � ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Field Of Fractions
In abstract algebra, the field of fractions of an integral domain is the smallest field in which it can be embedded. The construction of the field of fractions is modeled on the relationship between the integral domain of integers and the field of rational numbers. Intuitively, it consists of ratios between integral domain elements. The field of fractions of an integral domain R is sometimes denoted by \operatorname(R) or \operatorname(R), and the construction is sometimes also called the fraction field, field of quotients, or quotient field of R. All four are in common usage, but are not to be confused with the quotient of a ring by an ideal, which is a quite different concept. For a commutative ring that is not an integral domain, the analogous construction is called the localization or ring of quotients. Definition Given an integral domain R and letting R^* = R \setminus \, we define an equivalence relation on R \times R^* by letting (n,d) \sim (m,b) whenever nb = ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Proof By Contradiction
In logic, proof by contradiction is a form of proof that establishes the truth or the validity of a proposition by showing that assuming the proposition to be false leads to a contradiction. Although it is quite freely used in mathematical proofs, not every school of mathematical thought accepts this kind of nonconstructive proof as universally valid. More broadly, proof by contradiction is any form of argument that establishes a statement by arriving at a contradiction, even when the initial assumption is not the negation of the statement to be proved. In this general sense, proof by contradiction is also known as indirect proof, proof by assuming the opposite, and ''reductio ad impossibile''. A mathematical proof employing proof by contradiction usually proceeds as follows: #The proposition to be proved is ''P''. #We assume ''P'' to be false, i.e., we assume ''¬P''. #It is then shown that ''¬P'' implies falsehood. This is typically accomplished by deriving two mutually ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Square Root Of 2
The square root of 2 (approximately 1.4142) is the positive real number that, when multiplied by itself or squared, equals the number 2. It may be written as \sqrt or 2^. It is an algebraic number, and therefore not a transcendental number. Technically, it should be called the ''principal'' square root of 2, to distinguish it from the negative number with the same property. Geometrically, the square root of 2 is the length of a diagonal across a Unit square, square with sides of one unit of length; this follows from the Pythagorean theorem. It was probably the first number known to be irrational number, irrational. The fraction (≈ 1.4142857) is sometimes used as a good Diophantine approximation, rational approximation with a reasonably small denominator. Sequence in the On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences consists of the digits in the decimal expansion of the square root of 2, here truncated to 60 decimal places: : History The Babylonian clay tablet YBC 7289 (–1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fundamental Theorem Of Arithmetic
In mathematics, the fundamental theorem of arithmetic, also called the unique factorization theorem and prime factorization theorem, states that every integer greater than 1 is prime or can be represented uniquely as a product of prime numbers, up to the order of the factors. For example, : 1200 = 2^4 \cdot 3^1 \cdot 5^2 = (2 \cdot 2 \cdot 2 \cdot 2) \cdot 3 \cdot (5 \cdot 5) = 5 \cdot 2 \cdot 5 \cdot 2 \cdot 3 \cdot 2 \cdot 2 = \ldots The theorem says two things about this example: first, that 1200 be represented as a product of primes, and second, that no matter how this is done, there will always be exactly four 2s, one 3, two 5s, and no other primes in the product. The requirement that the factors be prime is necessary: factorizations containing composite numbers may not be unique (for example, 12 = 2 \cdot 6 = 3 \cdot 4). This theorem is one of the main reasons why 1 is not considered a prime number: if 1 were prime, then factorization into primes would not be unique; ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mathematical Association Of America
The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) is a professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. Members include university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ..., college, and high school teachers; graduate and undergraduate students; pure and applied mathematicians; computer scientists; statisticians; and many others in academia, government, business, and industry. The MAA was founded in 1915 and is headquartered at 11 Dupont in the Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C., Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The organization publishes mathematics journals and books, including the ''American Mathematical Monthly'' (established in 1894 by Benjamin Finkel), the most widely read mathematics journal in the world according to re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Euclidean Algorithm
In mathematics, the Euclidean algorithm,Some widely used textbooks, such as I. N. Herstein's ''Topics in Algebra'' and Serge Lang's ''Algebra'', use the term "Euclidean algorithm" to refer to Euclidean division or Euclid's algorithm, is an efficient method for computing the greatest common divisor (GCD) of two integers, the largest number that divides them both without a remainder. It is named after the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid, who first described it in his ''Elements'' (). It is an example of an ''algorithm'', a step-by-step procedure for performing a calculation according to well-defined rules, and is one of the oldest algorithms in common use. It can be used to reduce fractions to their simplest form, and is a part of many other number-theoretic and cryptographic calculations. The Euclidean algorithm is based on the principle that the greatest common divisor of two numbers does not change if the larger number is replaced by its difference with the smaller ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
