Exercise · ZW-FIELD-OF-FRACTIONS-003 · ★☆☆ Basic

In \(\operatorname{Frac}(\mathbb{Z})\), what is \(\tfrac12+\tfrac13\)?

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  • C. \(\tfrac56\)

Explanation

Use \(\tfrac ab+\tfrac cd=\tfrac{ad+bc}{bd}\): \(\tfrac{1\cdot3+2\cdot1}{2\cdot3}=\tfrac56\). Adding numerators and denominators separately, as in \(\tfrac25\), does not respect equality of fractions.

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Review the concept: Field of fractions

The field of fractions \(\operatorname{Frac}(D)\) of an integral domain \(D\) is the field made of the fractions \(a/b\), with \(a,b\in D\) and \(b\neq0\), where \(a/b=c/d\) when \(ad=bc\).

\[\frac ab=\frac cd\iff ad=bc,\qquad \frac ab+\frac cd=\frac{ad+bc}{bd},\qquad \frac ab\cdot\frac cd=\frac{ac}{bd}\]

More practice problems: field of fractions

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