centésima

Centésima is a term originating from Latin, meaning "hundredth." In mathematics, it specifically refers to the ordinal number representing the position of one hundredth, or the cardinal number representing a quantity of one hundredth. This is often expressed as a fraction, 1/100, or as a decimal, 0.01.

The concept of centésima is fundamental in understanding percentages, as "per cent" literally means "per hundred." Therefore, one centésima is equivalent to one percent. This is widely used in contexts such as finance, statistics, and everyday measurements where precise divisions into one hundred parts are necessary.

Historically, the development of decimal fractions, including the concept of the centésima, gained prominence with the work of mathematicians like Simon Stevin in the late 16th century. The ability to easily represent and calculate with parts of a whole, such as centésimas, significantly advanced scientific and commercial practices by simplifying complex fractional calculations. In languages derived from Latin, variations of "centésima" are used to denote the hundredth part.