decimalmerkinnästä

Decimalmerkinnästä, often translated as decimal notation or decimal representation, is a system used to express numbers, particularly fractions, using powers of ten. It is the standard way of writing numbers in most of the world. The key feature of decimal notation is the use of a decimal point (or comma in some regions) to separate the integer part of a number from its fractional part. Digits to the left of the decimal point represent whole units, tens, hundreds, and so on, while digits to the right represent tenths, hundredths, thousandths, and so forth.

Each position to the right of the decimal point corresponds to a power of 1/10. For example, in the number 123.456, the '4' represents 4 tenths (4/10), the '5' represents 5 hundredths (5/100), and the '6' represents 6 thousandths (6/1000). This positional value system makes it easy to perform arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division with these numbers.

The concept of decimal notation is closely linked to the Hindu-Arabic numeral system, which also uses place value and a base of ten. Before the widespread adoption of decimal notation, fractions were often represented using more complex systems. The development and standardization of decimal notation greatly simplified calculations and facilitated scientific and commercial progress. Recurring decimals, where a sequence of digits repeats infinitely, are also a common feature within this system and can be represented using specific notations.