Understanding Fractions in Maths with Perl Programming
Like we all know, fractional numbers can either be Proper, Improper , or Mixed .
A proper fraction has a denominator larger than the numerator, (e.g. 2/5).
An improper fraction has a numerator larger than the denominator, (e.g. 5/2).
A mixed fraction combines a whole number and a proper fraction, (e.g. 21/2).
Converting between these forms is a common task in algebra and Perl math exercises.
In this tutorial, we'll walk through how to convert mixed fractions to improper fractions using Perl. This is a great beginner Perl math project for junior secondary students. By writing a simple Perl class, you'll learn how to handle numeric data types and perform basic math operations with fractions.
Whether you're learning Perl for school or just exploring math programming, understanding how to work with fractions in Perl is a valuable skill. We'll use clear examples to show how to code fraction conversion and explain each step in detail.
Step-by-Step Guide to Converting Mixed Fractions to Improper Fractions in Perl
Say we have the fraction 32/5 - which is a mixed fraction; we can implement a Perl code that converts this mixed fraction to an improper fraction by following a number of steps:
Step 1:
Multiply the whole number (3), by the denominator (5)
⇒ 3 X 5 = 15
Step 2:
Add the result from Step 1 to the numerator (2)
⇒ 15 + 2 = 17
Step 3:
Our obtained improper fraction is our new numerator (17) divided by our denominator (5).
Create a new Perl Class File;
call it Algebra.pl.
Create a new Perl Module File;
call it MixedToImproper.pm.
Type out the adjoining Perl code for converting mixed to improper fraction.
So! Perl Fun Practice Exercise - Convert Mixed Fraction to Improper Fraction
As a fun practice exercise, feel free to try out your own mixed fractions with different whole numbers, numerators and denominators, and see how the Perl code simplifies those fractions.
Perl Code for Converting Mixed Fraction To Improper Fraction - Module File
BEGIN {
require Exporter;
# for the sake of standard
our $VERSION = 2016.12;
# Inherit from exporter to export functions and variables
our @ISA = qw(Exporter);
# Functions and variables to be exported by default
our @EXPORT_OK = qw(doConvert);
}
use warnings;
use strict;
my ($whole_number, $numerator, $denominator);
# simulate an object construct
# takes three arguments -- besides its name;
# whole_number, numerator and denominator values
sub new {
no warnings "all";
my $this = shift;
my $parameters = {@_};
bless $parameters, $this;
$this->_init(@_);
return $this;
}
# Simulate a constructor
sub _init {
my $self = shift;
($whole_number, $numerator, $denominator) = @_;
}
# Returns a scalar of the new numerator
sub doConvert {
# STEPS 1, 2:
return ($whole_number * $denominator) + $numerator;
}
1;
Perl Code for Converting Mixed Fraction To Improper Fraction - Algebra Main Class
use strict;
use warnings;
use MIXEDTOIMPROPER;
# Useful variables
my ($numerator, $denominator, $whole_number, $solution);
##
# Convert fractions from Mixed to Improper
##
$whole_number = 3;
$numerator = 1;
$denominator = 3;
print " Converting from Mixed to Improper the fraction:\n";
# Print as fraction
printf("%55u\n", $numerator);
printf("%54u%s\n", $whole_number, "-");
printf("%55u\n", $denominator);
# use the MixedToImproper class
my $mix2imp = MIXEDTOIMPROPER->new($whole_number, $numerator, $denominator);
$numerator = $mix2imp->doConvert();
print "\n";
printf("%52u\n", $numerator);
printf("%52s\n", "Answer = -");
printf("%52u\n", $denominator);
print "\n\n";