In mathematics,
fraction in which the denominator is any higher power of 10. Thus
3/10,
51/100, and
23/1,000 are decimal fractions and are normally expressed as 0.3, 0.51, and 0.023. The use of
decimals greatly simplifies addition and multiplication of fractions, though not all fractions can be expressed exactly as decimal fractions.
The regular use of the decimal point appears to have been introduced in about 1585, but the occasional use of decimal fractions can be traced back as far as the 12th century.
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