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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 .
Mathematical coincidence. A mathematical coincidence is said to occur when two expressions with no direct relationship show a near-equality which has no apparent theoretical explanation. For example, there is a near-equality close to the round number 1000 between powers of 2 and powers of 10: Some mathematical coincidences are used in ...
The golden ratio is also an algebraic number and even an algebraic integer. It has minimal polynomial. This quadratic polynomial has two roots, and. The golden ratio is also closely related to the polynomial. which has roots and As the root of a quadratic polynomial, the golden ratio is a constructible number.
It is known that ζ(3) is irrational (Apéry's theorem) and that infinitely many of the numbers ζ(2n + 1) : n ∈ , are irrational. [1] There are also results on the irrationality of values of the Riemann zeta function at the elements of certain subsets of the positive odd integers; for example, at least one of ζ (5), ζ (7), ζ (9), or ζ ...
Additive inverse. In mathematics, the additive inverse of an element x, denoted -x[ 1], is the element that when added to x, yields the additive identity, 0 [ 2]. In the most familiar cases, this is the number 0, but it can also refer to a more generalized zero element . In elementary mathematics, the additive inverse is often referred to as ...
Fractions such as 22 / 7 and 355 / 113 are commonly used to approximate π, but no common fraction (ratio of whole numbers) can be its exact value. [20] Because π is irrational, it has an infinite number of digits in its decimal representation , and does not settle into an infinitely repeating pattern of digits.
Partial fraction decomposition. In algebra, the partial fraction decomposition or partial fraction expansion of a rational fraction (that is, a fraction such that the numerator and the denominator are both polynomials) is an operation that consists of expressing the fraction as a sum of a polynomial (possibly zero) and one or several fractions ...
Arthur Eddington argued that the fine-structure constant was a unit fraction. He initially thought it to be 1/136 and later changed his theory to 1/137. This contention has been falsified, given that current estimates of the fine structure constant are (to 6 significant digits) 1/137.036. [30]