Why we learn Fractions

We teach fractions at the elementary school level, and it is probably one of the more complex concepts that we expect kids to learn.

There's good reason for this. Without a working knowledge of fractions, higher math becomes impossible. Algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus can only be learned on a solid foundation that includes the ability to understand and manipulate fractions. Students who have gaps in their knowledge of fractions will have tremendous difficulty later on.

Fractions are also very useful. Most quantities are easiest to express as fractions. We often want to convert these to decimals or to scientific notation in order to make it easier to analyze data, but the quantities still start as fractions. I would consider decimal notation to be a higher-level form that can only be understood by those who understand fractions first.

Why is this relevant to us? It's because the study of fractions is where we get our first look at prime numbers. It's still the main reason we study prime numbers, and without them, prime numbers would be a curiosities only studied in higher institutions of learning. Instead, prime numbers are a part of a fundamental education in mathematics that everyone should have.

In the next few blog posts, in order to build up an extensive archive we can draw from later, we shall explore the link between fractions and prime numbers in detail.