Sunday 23 April 2017

elementary number theory - Incorrect cancellation of fraction with correct answer




If you cancel (incorrectly) the 6 in $\frac{26}{65}$, you get the (correct) equation $\frac{26}{65} = \frac{2}{5}$. What other fraction exhibits this property?



I tried considering only the simple case where the fraction is of the form $\frac{10a+n}{10n+b}$ (as in the example), then attempting to solve $\frac{a}{b} = \frac{10a+n}{10n+b}$ to get $n(10a-b) = 9ab$. I was thinking of using divisibility tricks, but am not getting anywhere.



The case of the forms $\frac{10n+a}{10n+b}$ and $\frac{10a+n}{10b+n}$ are easy; you just get $a = b$. I haven't attempted higher than two digits or non-rationals. It would be interesting to see a complicated formula not necessarily involving a ratio of integers which works out to a correct answer with incorrect cancellation.


Answer



There are quite of few fractions that exhibit this property. They are also referred to as "lucky fractions".



Here is a paper on this topic that you might find useful: Lucky fractions


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