Fraction (mathematics)
![A cake with one quarter (one fourth) removed. The remaining three fourths are shown. Dotted lines indicate where the cake may be cut in order to divide it into equal parts. Each fourth of the cake is denoted by the fraction ¼.](/Images/godic/202501/09/Cake_quarters.svg2118.png")
![](/Images/godic/202501/09/Cake_fractions.svg2118.png")
A fraction (from Latin fractus, "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: ![\tfrac{1}{2}](/Images/godic/202501/09/3a96e71dfcb71605c92ac270bfd4d4cc2118.png")
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.