A
fraction (from , "broken") represents a part of a whole or, more generally, any number of equal parts. When spoken in everyday English, a fraction describes how many parts of a certain size there are, for example, one-half, eight-fifths, three-quarters. A
common,
vulgar, or
simple fraction (examples:
and 17/3) consists of an
integer numerator, displayed above a line (or before a slash), and a non-zero integer
denominator, displayed below (or after) that line. Numerators and denominators are also used in fractions that are not
common, including compound fractions, complex fractions, and mixed numerals.