The FractionSteps command is used to show the steps of adding fractions.

If expr is a string, then it is parsed into an expression using InertForm:-Parse so that no automatic simplifications are applied, and thus no steps are missed.  

The displaystyle and output options can be used to change the output format.  See OutputStepsRecord for details.

This function is part of the Student:-Basics package.

$\mathrm{with}\left(\mathrm{Student}:-\mathrm{Basics}\right)\:$

$\mathrm{FractionSteps}\left(''1/2+1/3''\right)$

$\begin{array}{lll}& & \text{Let's Simplify Fractions}\\ & & \frac{1}{2}+\frac{1}{3}\\ \text{•}& & \text{Find fractions to get lowest common denominator of}6\\ & & \frac{3}{3}\cdot \left(\frac{1}{2}\right)+\frac{2}{2}\cdot \left(\frac{1}{3}\right)\\ \text{•}& & \text{Multiply}\\ & & \frac{3\cdot 1}{6}+\frac{2\cdot 1}{6}\\ \text{•}& & \text{Add numerators}\\ & & \frac{\left(3\cdot 1+2\cdot 1\right)}{6}\\ \text{•}& & \text{Multiply}3\cdot 1\\ & & \frac{3+2\cdot 1}{6}\\ \text{•}& & \text{Multiply}2\cdot 1\\ & & \frac{3+2}{6}\\ \text{•}& & \text{Add}3+2\\ & & \frac{5}{6}\\ \text{•}& & \text{Solution}\\ & & \frac{5}{6}\end{array}$

$\mathrm{FractionSteps}\left(''a/2+a/3+a/4''\right)$

$\begin{array}{lll}& & \text{Let's Simplify Fractions}\\ & & \frac{a}{2}+\frac{a}{3}+\frac{a}{4}\\ \text{•}& & \text{Find fractions to get lowest common denominator of}12\\ & & \frac{6}{6}\cdot \left(\frac{a}{2}\right)+\frac{4}{4}\cdot \left(\frac{a}{3}\right)+\frac{3}{3}\cdot \left(\frac{a}{4}\right)\\ \text{•}& & \text{Multiply}\\ & & \frac{6\cdot a}{12}+\frac{4\cdot a}{12}+\frac{3\cdot a}{12}\\ \text{•}& & \text{Add numerators}\\ & & \frac{\left(6\cdot a+4\cdot a+3\cdot a\right)}{12}\\ \text{•}& & \text{Add}6a+4a+3a\\ & & \frac{\left(13a\right)}{12}\\ \text{•}& & \text{Solution}\\ & & \frac{13a}{12}\end{array}$

$\mathrm{FractionSteps}\left(''3/11+13/29''\,\mathrm{output}=\mathrm{typeset}\right)$

$\begin{array}{lll}& & \text{Let's Simplify Fractions}\\ & & \frac{3}{11}+\frac{13}{29}\\ \text{•}& & \text{Find fractions to get lowest common denominator of}319\\ & & \frac{29}{29}\cdot \left(\frac{3}{11}\right)+\frac{11}{11}\cdot \left(\frac{13}{29}\right)\\ \text{•}& & \text{Multiply}\\ & & \frac{29\cdot 3}{319}+\frac{11\cdot 13}{319}\\ \text{•}& & \text{Add numerators}\\ & & \frac{\left(29\cdot 3+11\cdot 13\right)}{319}\\ \text{•}& & \text{Multiply}29\cdot 3\\ & & \frac{87+11\cdot 13}{319}\\ \text{•}& & \text{Multiply}11\cdot 13\\ & & \frac{87+143}{319}\\ \text{•}& & \text{Add}87+143\\ & & \frac{230}{319}\\ \text{•}& & \text{Solution}\\ & & \frac{230}{319}\end{array}$

The Student[Basics][FractionSteps] command was introduced in Maple 2022.

For more information on Maple 2022 changes, see Updates in Maple 2022.