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   𝔑ℭ𝔎𝔫𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 (chevalier26@mastodon.social)'s status on Wednesday, 12-Jun-2024 03:47:24 JST 𝔑ℭ𝔎𝔫𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱

   @actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic Somehow got into an argument earlier about fractions with my parents, especially the fraction 15/16. I said that 7.5/8 is the same thing as 15/16, because they can be converted to each other by multiplying or dividing the numerator and denominator by 2.

   My mom basically said, no, that's not right because it's not a "proper fraction" which doesn't make sense to me. The math checks out, and numerators can have decimal integers. Is there something I'm missing?

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     Servelan (servelan@newsie.social)'s status on Wednesday, 12-Jun-2024 03:47:22 JST Servelan

     in reply to

     @chevalier26 @actuallyautistic It's the same, but it's not a 'proper' fraction in that we express fractions as most people know them in common parlance as whole number/whole number. If you talk about the ratio of one integer to another, it's also the same, but when I type in '7.5/8', what comes up via the google is 15/16. Your 7.5/8 is an expression of the ratio, 15/16 is the fractional equivalent.

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     Moz (moz@fosstodon.org)'s status on Wednesday, 12-Jun-2024 03:47:45 JST Moz

     in reply to

     @chevalier26 @actuallyautistic "proper fraction" is a mathematical term too: https://www.mathsisfun.com/proper-fractions.html (the rest are improper fractions. No, really).

     Typically people either use decimals or fractions, not both. The combo is kind of weird because if you're going to use decimals just use decimals. 3.5/5 or 0.7... you might as well just use the latter.

     The real fun is prime denominators because that tweaks people who use imperial units. It's not 15/32nds of a furlong, it's 8/17ths.

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     𝔑ℭ𝔎𝔫𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 (chevalier26@mastodon.social)'s status on Wednesday, 12-Jun-2024 03:47:49 JST 𝔑ℭ𝔎𝔫𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱

     in reply to

     • Nuclear Oatmeal :verified:

     @uss_oatmeal @actuallyautistic Unfortunately I think they'd say 15/2 is also not a proper fraction, and to be fair, it isn't one because the numerator is larger than the denominator. But "15/2" was absolutely the math I was doing in my head.

     The issue arose because my mom uses a certain data entry system at her job that uses standard form fractions and decimal equivalents in sixteenths (e.g., 5/16 would be 0.5 in their system). Which is WAY more confusing to me than my own mental math 😅.

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     Nuclear Oatmeal :verified: (uss_oatmeal@mstdn.party)'s status on Wednesday, 12-Jun-2024 03:47:50 JST Nuclear Oatmeal :verified:

     in reply to

     @chevalier26 @actuallyautistic

     I see both sides in this, and if I had to choose a side, I'd pick yours. Been a long time since my undergrad math minor, so could be stoking the fire here. Ask them if they'd be ok with (15/2)/8?

     I've had to carry around fractions like that in solving problems, especially if it was something like (1/3)/7 as an intermediate.

     As such, (15/2)/8 is an acceptable form, and as far as I'm concerned, I'm good with reducing that numerator to 7.5, so 7.5/8 it is. 😬