Sunday, 23 April 2017

elementary number theory - Incorrect cancellation of fraction with correct answer




If you cancel (incorrectly) the 6 in 2665, you get the (correct) equation 2665=25. What other fraction exhibits this property?



I tried considering only the simple case where the fraction is of the form 10a+n10n+b (as in the example), then attempting to solve ab=10a+n10n+b to get n(10ab)=9ab. I was thinking of using divisibility tricks, but am not getting anywhere.



The case of the forms 10n+a10n+b and 10a+n10b+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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