Understanding Fractions Better

Numbers have always fascinated humankind. Indians are credited with the invention of zero. Indians have always been good with numbers and the world looks at us with awe. We have great strides and come a long way. From natural numbers, whole numbers, integers, real numbers and complex numbers. We have also studied fractions. Let us what are fractions to understand the concepts of denominator numerator. A number can written in the form of A/B where A is an integer and B is an integer. A can be called the numerator and B can be called the denominator. So we see numerator v/s denominator to extend the concept further. The numerator is written on top of the horizontal line and the denominator is written below the horizontal line. So we understand what is a numerator and denominator if we didn’t know it earlier.

We must understand numerators and denominators to understand fractions better. Operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division between the fractions can be performed. Here both numerator and also the denominator come into picture. If the denominators are dissimilar they must be made similar to proceed further with the operations. For this we need to take the LCM of the denominators. Taking the LCM is a simple operation. Unless the denominators are equal we cannot proceed further. Once the denominators are equal, we can just add the numerators if the operation to be performed is addition. If subtraction is to be performed we just need to subtract the numerators after making the denominators equal. So we must know the definition of numerator and denominator to perform these operations. Only when we know it, we can do something.

After making the denominators equal if they are not, we proceed to perform addition, subtraction or any operation with fractions. Sometimes the fractions can be in the form of mixed fractions. We need to be careful in such cases. We must first convert them into improper fractions without proceeding. They cannot be directly used. For the process of finding LCM we need improper fractions in our hand. Once we get the improper fractions we first check whether their denominators are same or not. If they are same, our problem becomes very simple and easy. The numerators can be just added or subtracted as the case may be. If they are not equal only then the process of taking LCM is to be performed and addition or subtraction is to be done.