Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: A cancellable fraction is a displayed numerator–denominator pair in which deleting the same decimal digit from the numerator and denominator leaves the represented rational number unchanged. We study vertical cancellations, where the deleted digits occur in the same decimal position in the numerator and denominator. Fix a nonzero digit \(h\). Let \(C_h(n)\) denote the number of marked vertical cancellations of the digit \(h\) among numerator–denominator pairs \((N,D)\), where \(N\) and \(D\) are both \(n\)-digit positive integers and \(D<N\). Here marked means that the cancelled position is part of the data. We prove that \[C_h(n)=O_h(n^2 10^{n-1}).\] Since the number of such displayed pairs \((N,D)\) is of order \(10^{2n}\), the proportion of vertically \(h\)-cancellable pairs is \(O_h(n^2/10^n)\). Thus vertical \(h\)-cancellability is exponentially rare. We also give an explicit family showing that \(C_h(n)\ge c_h10^n\) for all sufficiently large \(n\), and we include exact enumerations for small values of \(n\). Finally, we formulate a uniqueness conjecture asserting that almost every marked vertical cancellation belongs to a pair that is cancellable in exactly one vertical way.
DOI: 10.61091/jcmcc131-24
Author: Mohsen Aliabadi
Institution: Clayton State University
Language: English
Subfield: Algebra and Number Theory
Field: Mathematics
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7204907022