Rational extension
Okay kiddo, you know how we use numbers like 1, 2, 3 to count things? Well, sometimes we need to use numbers that are not whole numbers, like 0.5 or 3.75. These are called "fractions" or "decimals".
Now imagine we have a big measuring stick, and we want to measure something that's longer than the stick. What do we do? We can use a smaller measuring stick and measure it multiple times and add the lengths together.
Rational extension is kind of like that. When we have a mathematical function, it might only work for some numbers and not others. But we can use the function for those numbers and then "extend" it to work for other numbers too.
Just like how we can use a smaller measuring stick to measure something bigger, we can use the function for some numbers and then "add" more numbers to it by imagining what the function would do if we plugged in those numbers.
This process of "extending" the function to work for more numbers is called rational extension. It's like stretching the function to cover more ground, just like using a smaller measuring stick to measure something bigger.
Now imagine we have a big measuring stick, and we want to measure something that's longer than the stick. What do we do? We can use a smaller measuring stick and measure it multiple times and add the lengths together.
Rational extension is kind of like that. When we have a mathematical function, it might only work for some numbers and not others. But we can use the function for those numbers and then "extend" it to work for other numbers too.
Just like how we can use a smaller measuring stick to measure something bigger, we can use the function for some numbers and then "add" more numbers to it by imagining what the function would do if we plugged in those numbers.
This process of "extending" the function to work for more numbers is called rational extension. It's like stretching the function to cover more ground, just like using a smaller measuring stick to measure something bigger.