The simplest form of a fraction where the numerator and denominator share no common factors other than 1, making it impossible to reduce further. This is achieved by dividing both parts by their greatest common factor.
The phrase combines 'lowest' from Old English 'laghest' meaning 'most humble' or 'smallest' with 'terms' from Latin 'terminus' meaning 'boundary' or 'limit'. This mathematical usage emerged in the 17th century to describe the most reduced state of a fraction.
Lowest terms represent mathematical elegance - they show a fraction in its purest, most economical form! Like a perfectly edited sentence with no unnecessary words, a fraction in lowest terms contains only the essential information needed to express the ratio.
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