Math

Lowest Terms Calculator

Reduce a fraction to its simplest form.


Lowest Terms Calculator

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Reduces a single fraction to its simplest possible form by dividing both the numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor.

How it works

The greatest common divisor of the numerator and denominator is found using the Euclidean algorithm, then both numbers are divided by it.

What this does not include

This does not include arithmetic between two fractions — for adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing two fractions, use this site’s fraction calculator instead.

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter the numerator and denominator of a single fraction.

Frequently asked questions

What does “lowest terms” mean?

A fraction is in lowest terms when its numerator and denominator share no common factor other than 1 — it can’t be simplified any further.

How is the greatest common divisor found?

Using the Euclidean algorithm, a standard, efficient method for finding the largest number that divides two integers evenly.

What if the fraction is already in lowest terms?

The calculator returns the same fraction unchanged — dividing by a greatest common divisor of 1 has no effect.

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Written by

J. Adeyemi

Statistics writer

J. Adeyemi writes the statistics and probability calculators, from descriptive summaries through to distributions and conditional probability. The recurring theme is scope: each page states precisely which question it answers, because most statistical mistakes come from applying a correct formula to the wrong question. Related-but-different measures get separate pages rather than being quietly merged.

Reviewed by

T. Okafor

Calculator reviewer — mathematics

T. Okafor reviews the mathematics calculators, verifying algebraic correctness and, just as importantly, behaviour at the edges — division by zero, undefined results, and the floating-point cases where a formula technically returns a number that should be reported as undefined. Every test case is recomputed independently rather than taken on trust.

How we write and review

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