Fractions that Cannot Be Reduced

[Jason]

Fractions which cannot be reduced have a GCF of 1. You will find when figuring out the GCF that the two or more compared numbers have no numbers in common except 1, but, remember, we never need to factor in 1 into GCF calculations.

What is the below fraction reduced, if it can be reduced?

\(\dfrac{99}{17}\)

\(99 \longrightarrow 3 * 33 \longrightarrow 3 * (3 * 11) \longrightarrow 3^{1} * 3^{1} * 11^{1} \longrightarrow 3^{2} * 11^{1}\)

\(17 \longrightarrow 17^{1}\)

The lowest prime powers, common to all numbers, are:

none

\(GCF = 1\)

\(so\)

\(\dfrac{99}{17} = \dfrac{99}{17}\)

The fraction in this problem cannot be reduced because there is no GCF other than 1.

[Stoic]

When I was at school, we went a bit further by saying that this is 5 times 14/17 to make numbers lower.

[Jason]

One bad temptation is to see the prime 17 and assume it can't be reduced - when the numerator might be divisible by 17.

When I was at school, we went a bit further by saying that this is 5 times 14/17 to make numbers lower.

Yeah, that's possible also by dividing the top by bottom.

[Stoic]

When I watched some documentaries, I think that first occurance of fractions appeared in Egypt because they needed it for some dividing problems they had. They also had an interesting way of how they divide two numbers. I think saw that with how computers work, by using similar system.

[Jason]

When I watched some documentaries, I think that first occurance of fractions appeared in Egypt because they needed it for some dividing problems they had. They also had an interesting way of how they divide two numbers. I think saw that with how computers work, by using similar system.

I don't know much about it except that basic computer memory is based on 1 (true) and 0 (false).