The denominator is written below the numerator.
Denominator is that which denominates . A denomination , for its part, is the name or nickname that identifies a person or a thing and that allows it to be distinguished from another.
Before moving forward, it is important to make clear the etymological origin of the term. When we do so, we discover that it emanates from Latin, specifically, from the word denominator , which can be translated as "the smallest number that exists in a fraction."
Denominator in mathematics
The concept of denominator is used in mathematics to name, in fractions , the number that indicates the equal parts into which the unit is divided. The denominator is written below the numerator and is separated from it by a horizontal line or dash known as the dividing line .
For example: "The teacher asked us to write five fractions with even denominators," "The children still have problems working with such large denominators," "In the previous example, 8 is the numerator and 26 is the denominator."
It can be said, therefore, that the denominator is the number that appears at the bottom of a fraction . Above it is the dividing line and, at the top, the numerator appears. If we want to write, as a fraction, the expression for one third, we will have to specify: 1/3 . The number 1 will be the numerator and 3 will be the denominator.
Likewise, within the area of algebra, we would have to establish that the term literal denominator is also usually used. This is used to define what the divisor would be.
The denominator is the number that refers to the equal parts into which the unit is divided.
Different operations
In the same way, it should be noted that one of the most common operations that are usually done in this area is to proceed to convert a negative denominator into a positive one . That is a task that is carried out by multiplying the numerator and denominator by the fraction -1/-1 . Likewise, if necessary, the operation could be continued by reducing the fraction to its simple form.
On the other hand, it is necessary to establish that the denominator of a fraction can never be the number zero. And if this were the case, a notable problem would arise since division by it would result in a limit with an infinite value, which is indeterminate and which no electrical mathematical device can write.
In that sense, we must also clarify that dividing by zero is something that is not defined theoretically since infinity, which we have mentioned would be obtained, is not a number. Hence, it cannot be established as the denominator because it would lead to a mathematical contradiction.
common denominator
The common denominator is one that is the same in two or more fractions. This makes operations between fractions easier. The notion of least common denominator , for its part, refers to the result of calculating the least common multiple of fractions with different denominators.
In everyday language, finally, the expression "common denominator" is used to refer to something that is shared by different things : "Defensive weakness is the common denominator of the Bolivian and Ecuadorian teams."