what are decimals

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A decimal is a number that consists of a whole and a fractional part separated by a decimal point. The decimal system is based on 10, and it is the standard system for denoting integer and non-integer numbers. Decimals may sometimes be identified by a decimal separator, usually "." or "," as in 25.9703 or 3,1415. The numbers that may be represented in the decimal system are the decimal fractions, which are fractions of the form a/10n, where a is an integer, and n is a non-negative integer. The digits after the decimal separator signify the precision of a value. Decimals can be classified based on the number of digits after the decimal point:

  • Like decimals: Two decimal numbers are said to be “like” decimals if they have the same number of digits after the decimal point.

  • Unlike decimals: Two decimal numbers are said to be “unlike” decimals if they have a different number of digits after the decimal point.

Decimals can be represented in different ways, such as decimal fractions, recurring decimal numbers, and non-recurring decimal numbers.