1 1

• 𝐼𝑓 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠𝑛′𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑡, 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠𝑛′𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑡.

𝑚 𝑚𝑘

2.For repeating decimals:

1 𝑛
• 𝐼𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠, 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠.
𝑚 𝑚
1 1
• 𝐼𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠, 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠.
𝑚 𝑚𝑘

3. Also another important identity:

1 1 1 1
• 𝐼𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠, 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠𝑛′𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑡, × 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠.
𝑚1 𝑚2 𝑚1 𝑚2

1 1 1 1 1
(By the identity above, = × must repeat, as repeats but 2 doesn’t)
6 2 3 3

This identity can be generated to

1 1 1 1
• 𝐹𝑜𝑟 × 𝑚 × 𝑚 ⋯ , if any prime repeats, the whole fraction repeats.
𝑚1 2 3 𝑚𝑛

Concluding all identities above, we have:

The Answer:
For any fraction:

• Simplify the fraction to its simplest form.

• Factorizing its denominator.

Check all the prime factorizations

• If the prime factorizations contain no number other than 2 or 5, it doesn’t repeat.

• If it contains any number that isn’t 2 or 5, it must repeat.

Describing this using a flow chart, we get this diagram:

3
 A fraction

No
Simplest form? Simplify It

Yes

Factorize its
denominator

Check the prime

factorization
of denominator

Yes No
Contains 2 or 5
Only?

It repeats It doesn t repeat

Flow Chart 1. Flow chart to check if a number has repeating decimal digits

Some examples:
7 7
= = 0.014 , 𝑖𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠𝑛′ 𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑡
500 2 × 2 × 5 × 5 × 5

11 11
= = 0.02̇82051̇ , 𝑖𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠
390 2 × 5 × 3 × 13

4
Question 2
For repeating decimals with some non-repeating digits (e.g., 1/6 has 1 digit that is non-
repeating), is there a way to determine the number of non-repeating digits the number has?

Same as Question 1, we need to do following steps first:

• Simplify the fraction to its simplest form

• Check the prime factorization of its denominator
For describing a number built by digits, I introduce the line ̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅ above a sequence, means that it
is one continuous number. This avoid confusing it with the product of the digits.
1 1
We know that and have p digits in their decimal form.
2𝑝 5𝑝
1
= 0. 𝑎
̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
1 𝑎2 𝑎3 ⋯ 𝑎𝑝
2𝑝
1
= 0. 𝑎
̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
1 𝑎2 𝑎3 ⋯ 𝑎𝑝
5𝑝
If a denominator has only prime factors which are not 2 or 5, it doesn’t have any non-repeating
digits. For example:
1
= 0. 0̇123456789̇
81
6
= 0. 3̇15789473684210526̇
19

They all have zero non-repeating digits.

If you multiply two fractions, both have only prime denominators which are not 2 or 5, the answer
must also have zero non-repeating digits.

5 1 5
= × = 0. 2̇38095̇
21 3 7

1 6
× = 0. 0̇03898635477582846̇
81 19

They all have zero non-repeating digits.

1
Now we can find out what happens when a fraction with no non-repeating digits is multiplied by
2
1
or , and how the number of non-repeating digits increase.
5

5
Question 3
Given any repeating decimal, is it always possible to represent it as a fraction?

Say the given decimal has n digits repeating. We can multiply it by 10𝑛 .
This makes the digits after the decimal point the same as the decimal digits of the original decimal.
Then subtract the original number from the new number, and you will get an integer, because the
repeating decimals cancel out.
Writing this algebraically,
As a short example, assume that the decimal is 𝑥 and it repeats after 6 digits. We can write a
̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
decimal as 0. 𝑎 1̇ 𝑎2 𝑎3 𝑎4 𝑎5 𝑎6̇

We get:

𝑥= 0 . ̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
𝑎̇ 1 𝑎2 𝑎3 𝑎4𝑎5 𝑎̇ 6

106 𝑥 = 𝑎
̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅ ̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
1 𝑎2 𝑎3 𝑎4 𝑎5 𝑎6 . 𝑎̇ 1 𝑎2 𝑎3 𝑎4 𝑎5 𝑎̇ 6

Subtracting the first equation from the second gives us:

999999𝑥 = 𝑎
̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
1 𝑎2 𝑎3 𝑎4 𝑎5 𝑎6

̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
𝑎 1 𝑎2 𝑎3 𝑎4 𝑎5 𝑎6
𝑥= (Simplify it if possible)
999999

Generally, we can extend the decimal to however long, we can add as many non-repeating decimal
digits as we need, either before or after decimal point. but this method always remains the same:

We can write a decimal as:

𝑥= ̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
𝑏1 𝑏2 ⋯ 𝑏𝑚 . 𝑐̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅ ̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
1 𝑐2 ⋯ 𝑐𝑘 𝑎̇ 1 𝑎2 ⋯ 𝑎̇ 𝑛

10𝑘 𝑥 = ̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
𝑏 ̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
1 𝑏2 ⋯ 𝑏𝑚 𝑐1 𝑐2 ⋯ 𝑐𝑘 . 𝑎̇ 1 𝑎2 ⋯ 𝑎̇ 𝑛

10𝑛+𝑘 𝑥 = ̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
𝑏1 𝑏2 ⋯ 𝑏𝑚 𝑐1 𝑐2 ⋯ 𝑐𝑘 𝑎1 𝑎2 ⋯ 𝑎𝑛 . ̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
𝑎̇ 1 𝑎2 ⋯ 𝑎̇ 𝑛

Subtracting the second equation from the third, we have:

̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
𝑏1 𝑏2 ⋯ 𝑏𝑚 𝑐1 𝑐2 ⋯ 𝑐𝑘 𝑎1 𝑎2 ⋯ 𝑎𝑛 − 𝑏 ̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
1 𝑏2 ⋯ 𝑏𝑚 𝑐1 𝑐2 ⋯ 𝑐𝑘
𝑥= 𝑛+𝑘 𝑘
10 − 10
As the numerator and denominator are both integers, this is the fraction we need.
Remember, once we have got the fraction, we need to simplify it to make it the simplest form.

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The Answer:
Yes, every repeating decimal can be represented as a fraction. Method as above.

Some examples:
11678832 11678832 16
0. 1̇1678832̇ = = =
108 − 1 99999999 137
25461538 − 25 25461513 331
25. 4̇61538̇ = = =
106 − 1 999999 13

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More thinking and possible research

This question made me think deeply and research for more information, so I learnt a variety of new
knowledge and skills from this question. After finishing the 4 questions I thought about whether I
had completely finished the question or not. These doubts include:
• Are there any more key answers that are not 100% rigorous in above questions?
• Are there any more interesting facts about repeating decimals and fractions?
• Are there more questions about decimals and fractions in different mathematical areas?
I also thought about the question given itself and more interesting questions relating to repeating
decimals. Here are some more open questions I thought would be worth investigating:

1. Are there any exceptions for decimals?

From the beginning, we supposed that all decimals formed by one integer divided by another
either:
- Have a limited number of digits
- Have repeating decimals.
Are there any exception(s) that a fraction does not fall into the two types above (It is unlimited but
non-repeating)?
I have found the answer for this question, and it is NO.
To prove this, we need Fermat's little theorem in number theory. It touches some knowledge of
rational numbers. It has an interesting proof, but isn’t too complicated.

2. Repeating decimals in different bases

In different bases (binary, hexadecimal, or pentadecimal, etc.), we have the same mathematical
tools: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. We can also see repeating decimals in
other bases, such as: 1.01̇101̇ in binary or 0. 𝐴̇5𝐶3̇ in hexadecimal.
Questions we can ask for decimals in different bases include:
• For repeating decimals, do fractions and decimals follow the same rules as in base 10?
• When we turn a repeating decimal from base 10 to another base, and it is still repeating,
how is the number of repeating digits?
• Can we always turn a repeating decimal into fraction in another base?
• In other bases, how can we determine the number of non-repeating digits?

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3. Repeating continued fraction

There is a special type of fraction called ‘continued fractions’, for example:

649 1 √5 − 1 1
=3+ =
200 1 2 1
4+ 1 1+ 1
12 + 4 1+ 1
1 + 1+⋱

Continued fractions have some similar properties with decimals, some of them repeat and some
don’t, some of them have limited digits but some of them are unlimited.
There are quite a few interesting questions to discuss about ‘continued fractions’.
• How can one check if a number is a repeating continued fraction?
• Given an unlimited continued fraction, is it always possible to represent it as a rational
number?
• For a repeating continued fraction, is there a way to determine the number of non-
repeating digits?

We leave these questions for further investigation.

Bibliography:
https://www.mathsisfun.com/calculator-precision.html
https://primes.utm.edu/lists/small/10000.txt
https://primes.utm.edu/howmany.html
https://kconrad.math.uconn.edu/blurbs/ugradnumthy/eulerthm.pdf

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