Simplifying a fraction as a surd?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around the concept of simplifying the fraction 115/36 as a surd. Participants question the definition of expressing a fraction as a surd, noting that writing the numerator or denominator as a square root may not constitute simplification. The term "large fraction" is also debated, with suggestions to convert it into a mixed number format, such as 3 and 7/36. Overall, the conversation highlights differing opinions on what constitutes simplification in mathematical terms. The topic raises important considerations about the nature of fractions and surds in mathematics.
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Simplifying a fraction as a surd??

If I have a rather large fraction such as 115/36 there is no obvious way of cancelling this, but is there a way of expressing it as a surd?
 
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What do you mean by "expressing it as a surd"? Writing either numerator or denominator as a square root of yet a larger number would hardly strike me as "simplifying". (And do you really consider 115/36 as a "large fraction"? How about writing it as 3 and 7/36?)
 
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