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@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?

@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. 😬

𝔑ℭ𝔎𝔫𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱

@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 😅.