Definition:Terminating Decimal

Definition

A terminating decimal is a decimal expansion which has a finite number of decimal places.

Examples

Example: $0 \cdotp 625$

The number $\dfrac 5 8$ can be expressed as a terminating decimal:

$\dfrac 5 8 = 0 \cdotp 625$

Also known as

A terminating decimal is also known as a finite decimal.

However, that latter term is too easily confused with the concept of a finite number, and so is not to be used on $\mathsf{Pr} \infty \mathsf{fWiki}$.

Also see

• Definition:Termination of Basis Expansion
• Definition:Nonterminating Decimal

• Results about terminating decimals can be found here.

Sources

• 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): decimal
• 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): terminating decimal
• 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): decimal
• 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): terminating decimal