Appetizers and Lessons for Mathematics and Reason (www.whyslopes.com)
a calculus, preparation for calculus and math ed reform website, etc.

Online Volumes (Book Orders)
1,  Elements of Reason.
1A. Pattern Based Reason 
1B. Math Curriculum Notes
2. Three Skills for Algebra
3. Why Slopes & More Math

Mathematics Course Designers: LAMP offers food for thought.
More Site Areas 
1. Help Your Child or Teen Learn 
2. Solving Linear Equations
3. Fractions Ratios Rates Proportions & Units
4. Euclidean Geometry
5. Analytic Geometry/Functions 
6. Number Theory
7. More Calculus
More Site Areas 
8. Complex Numbers 
9. Qc Maths  Education  
10. Secondary IV(?) maths
11. Real  Analysis 
12. LaTeX2HotEqn:
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15. Algebra, Odds & Ends, Etc
More Site Areas 
16. Math Education Essays
17. Telling & Working with Time
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19. Quantitative Skills for  home, shopping and work 
20. Statistics Useful, or Not. 

||Définition d'une variable || Algèbre || Arithmetique || Logique ||La raison basée sur les règles et modelés||
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YOU are better than YOU think. Show yourself  how:  

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Read  logic chapters 1 to 5  in online volume Three Skills for Algebra  for greater skills & confidence in  work 
and study

Learn to read notes and textbooks like a lawyer, so that no nuance, no subtlety and no clause escapes your attention.

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 Logic chapters 1 to 5  re- appear not in sequence, as is or longer,  in  Volume 1A,  Pattern Based Reason, Bon Appetite.

Logic Mastery
 Amazing, Amusing, Amorous,  Delicious, Delightful, Edifying, Strengthening Elixir. 
It eases work & learning difficulties Makes the hard easier. Opens eyes. Leads to greater precision.
in reading and
writing

Logic mastery makes the hard, easier. Logic mastery  leads to better, stronger and richer comprehension.  Logic mastery  improves reading and writing.  Logic mastery ease learning difficulties.  Logic mastery gives a headstart.  In sum, logic mastery  will develops critical thinking, improve reading and writing, and give a firmer base for work and studies at many levels. Good luck.


After logic  (a) continue reading Three Skills for Algebra, chapters 8 to 14  and do so alongside site area on solving liinear Equations ; or (b) see this calculus starter lesson and Volume 3, Why Slopes  & More Math, chapters 2 to 6;

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Caution: Site advice is approximately correct, for some circumstances, not all. That leaves room for thought

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What may be learnt and when depends on how skills and concepts are developed. Making the hard easier and clearer will allow earlier & richer development of skills and concepts.


 

Fractions and Decimals

Summary: This lesson goes from assumptions about fractions without signs (that is before the introduction of positive and negative number concepts) to those real numbers given in the limit by unsigned decimal expansions, finite or infinite, that is the non-negative real numbers.   But discussion of positive and negative numbers is not included here - avoided. 

The site area Fractions,  Ratios, Rates, Proportions  & Units give a thought-based  development of fractions from definition to performing arithmetic operations of addition, subtraction, divisions and multiplication efficiently. That development provides one logical base for the following and the assume properties of unsigned fractions. The site area Fractions,  Ratios, Rates, Proportions  & Units does not emphasize decimal fractions.

The addition and multiplication of unsigned fractions is commutative and associative due to the corresponding properties of natural numbers established in the first pages of this site area. By converting a pair of fractions A and B to a common denominator, the distributive law

(A+B)C = AC + BC 

follows from the distributive law for natural numbers established earlier in area pages. 

Simple & Decimal Fractions

A simple fraction is given by a pair  of whole or natural numbers

M
N

where N denotes the denominator and M denotes the numerator. Here N the denominator must be non-zero.  The fraction may be proper or improper.  In the case where N = 1, we identify the fraction with M. 

A decimal fraction has the form 

 M 
10k

where the numerator N =  10k is a power of 10 for some natural number k > 0. The decimal fraction is improper if M > N = 10k.  

A fraction which is not equivalent to a decimal fraction is called a non-decimal fraction.

Identifying and Recognizing Decimal Fractions

Which Fractions are equivalent to decimal fraction

Assume the numerator  N of a simple fraction 

M
N

 is given by product of 2s and 5s, we have N= 2a5b for some natural numbers a > 0 and b >  0.  So 

M
N
=  M 
2a5b

We will consider three cases:  (i)  a > b  and (ii) a = b and (iii) a < b and show in each case that the simple fraction is equivalent to a decimal fraction.

In the first case (i)  a > b, we have a series of equivalent fractions 

M
N
 =   M 
2a5b
  =   M *5a-b
2a5b 5a-b
 =  M *5a-b
2a5
 =  M *5a-b
  10a

 So M/N is equivalent or equal to a decimal fraction.

In the second case (ii)  a = b, we have

M
N
 =   M 
2a5b
  = 
2a5
 = 
 10a

and the original fraction is a decimal fraction.

In the third case (iii)  a < b, we have a series of equivalent fractions 

M
N
 =   M 
2a5b
  =   M *2b-a
2a5b 2b-a
 =  M *5b-a
2b5
 =  M *2b-a
 10b

 So M/N is equivalent or equal to a decimal fraciton.

Conversely if  

M
N
 =   M 
 10a

is a decimal fraction then  its denominator 10a = 2a5 is a  product of 2s and 5s, and it may be possible to cancel some of the 2s and 5s if the latter occur in the prime decomposition of the numerator M.

Theorem (Conclusion):  A simple fraction is equivalent to a decimal fraction when and only when its denominators equals a product of 2s and 5s.

Place Value Notation for Decimal Fractions

When the numerator, the whole M in a decimal fraction   

 M 
10k

has a decimal representation, the decimal representation of the  decimal fraction is given by moving the decimal point k places to the left.  The latter is illustrated in the  following examples when  read them from left to right.

 3.4 = 3 + 4
10
 =   34
10
345.87 =  345 + 87
100
 =   34587
  100
0.445 = 0 +  445
1000
 =  445
1000
12.4567 = 12 + 4567
10000
= 124567
10000

Counting Digits in the products of Decimal Fractions

number of decimals after decimal point in product  equals the 
sum of number of decimals after in both factors (or all factors)

 If M and N are given by decimal fractions then 

M   = 
10a
and   N   = 
10b

where the one digits in P and Q are nonzero then 

M*N  =   P*Q
10a10b

has a+b digits after the decimal point. Moreover, if P and Q have r and s digits in total then M*N and P*Q have r+s digits in their decimal expansions. Further, M*N has (r+s) - (a+b) digits before the decimal point.  The proof is left to an exercise. Assume the most significant digit in P and Q is nonzero 

Decimal numbers do not usually begin with zeroes.  That is, we would rewrite  00234.45 as 234.45.

Location of decimal point in product in column method computation

Previously ,we met the calculation

      823
      243
 -------  x 
     2469
   32920
 154600
 -------  +
199989
--------

The foregoing calculation allows us to compute 8.23 (a =2) times 24.3 (b =1) as follows

     8.23
     24.3
 -------  x 
     2469
   32920
 154600
 -------  +
199.989
--------

The intermediate calculations are as before. But we shift the decimal point in the product of 823 x 243 = 199989 three = 2 + 1 places to the left to obtain the result 199.989  

Optional: In retrospect, we could place the implied decimal points in the intermediate calculations as well.

   8.23
     24.3
 -------  x 
     2.469
   32.920
 154.600
 -------  +
199.989
--------

Counting Digits in sums and difference of Decimal Fractions

 If M and N are given by decimal fractions with 

M   = 
10a
and   N   = 
10b

and a > b then 

M+N  =   P + Q*10a-b 
     
10a

has a digits after the decimal point.  

www.whyslopes.com
Number Theory

Start of Number Theory

Origins of Counting or Tallying
Adding Wholes
Multipling Wholes
Distributive Law  Preamble
Distributive Law for Wholes
Consequences
More Consequences
What is a Fraction
Compound Fractions

Number Theory
Continued


Decimal Place Value
Comparison Method
Addition Method
Subtraction Methods
Multiplication Methods
Division Methods
Remainder Arithmetic I
Primes & Composites
Primes Factorization Theorem
Primes & Composites
Prime Factorization Aids
Prime Factorization Examples
Counting  Whole No.  Factors
Arithmetic Videos
Square Roots  & Primes
Long Division Continued
Fractions & Decimals
Fractions as Decimals
1 = 0.999 Recurring
Ratio of Simple Fractions
Ratio of Decimal Fractions
Unsigned Reals Numbers
Signed Coordinates
Plane Vectors
Horizontal Vectors
Adding Vector Multiplies
Adding Signed Numbers
Multiplying Signed Numbers
Distributive Law for Reals
Real Numbers Axioms
Remainder Arithmetic II

Related Site Pages:


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Food for thought: Try the Twiddla Whiteboard. In principle, it  allows to people to draw and chat together online on a copy of this webpage or a clean sheet. The chat may be via text or audio.  Visit www.twiddla.com to set up whiteboards to work with the webpage of your choice..

 



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