Decimalmerkinnässä

Decimalmerkinnässä, often translated as decimal notation or decimal representation, is a system used to write numbers in base ten. This system is fundamental to mathematics and everyday life. It utilizes a decimal point to separate the whole number part of a value from its fractional part. Digits to the left of the decimal point represent powers of ten (ones, tens, hundreds, and so on), while digits to the right represent fractions of powers of ten (tenths, hundredths, thousandths, etc.).

The standard Arabic numeral system, which we use, is a positional number system, meaning the value of a digit depends on its position within the number. In decimal notation, each position is ten times the value of the position immediately to its right. For example, in the number 123.45, the '1' represents one hundred, the '2' represents twenty, the '3' represents three, the '4' represents four tenths, and the '5' represents five hundredths.

The introduction of the decimal point, though its exact origin is debated, greatly simplified calculations involving fractions and paved the way for more advanced mathematical concepts. It provides a consistent and unambiguous way to express both integers and non-integer numbers, making it universally adopted in science, engineering, finance, and various other fields.