# Fix for rational.rb (accepting Rationals as num/den)

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fix-for-rational-rb-accepting-rationals-as-num-den/102146>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [August 11, 2006, 5:59pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fix-for-rational-rb-accepting-rationals-as-num-den/102146 "2006-08-11T17:59:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![apeiros](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@apeiros](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/apeiros)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 5:59pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fix-for-rational-rb-accepting-rationals-as-num-den/102146/1 "2006-08-11T17:59:51Z")

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Hi, Rational currently doesn’t accept Rationals as  
Numerator/Denominator. I wrote a patch for it and look for feedback.  
Thanks.

def Rational(a, b = 1)  
Rational.reduce(\*Rational.normalize(a,b))  
end

class Rational \< Numeric  
# normalizes numerator/denominator to non-rationals  
def Rational.normalize(num,den)  
if a.kind\_of?(Rational) then  
if b == 1 then  
return [a.nominator, a.denominator]  
elsif b.kind\_of?(Rational) then  
return [a.numerator_b.denominator, a.denominator_b.numerator]  
else  
return [a.numerator, a.denominator_b]  
end  
elsif b.kind\_of?(Rational) then  
if a == 1 then  
return [b.denominator, b.nominator]  
else  
return [a_b.denominator, b.numerator]  
end  
else  
return [a,b]  
end  
end

def Rational.new!(num, den = 1)  
new(\*Rational.normalize(a,b))  
end  
end

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![apeiros](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@apeiros](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/apeiros)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fix-for-rational-rb-accepting-rationals-as-num-den/102146/2 "2006-08-11T18:02:55Z")

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Whoops, that was the old code snippet…

def Rational(a, b = 1)  
Rational.reduce(\*Rational.normalize(a,b))  
end

class Rational \< Numeric  
# normalizes numerator/denominator to non-rationals  
def Rational.normalize(a,b)  
if a.kind\_of?(Rational) then  
if b == 1 then  
return [a.nominator, a.denominator]  
elsif b.kind\_of?(Rational) then  
return [a.numerator_b.denominator, a.denominator_b.numerator]  
else  
return [a.numerator, a.denominator_b]  
end  
elsif b.kind\_of?(Rational) then  
if a == 1 then  
return [b.denominator, b.nominator]  
else  
return [a_b.denominator, b.numerator]  
end  
else  
return [a,b]  
end  
end

def Rational.new!(num, den = 1)  
new(\*Rational.normalize(num,den))  
end  
end

Should work a bit better 😉

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![apeiros](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@apeiros](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/apeiros)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fix-for-rational-rb-accepting-rationals-as-num-den/102146/3 "2006-08-15T14:17:23Z")

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Stefan R. wrote:

> ```
> if b == 1 then
> return [a*b.denominator, b.numerator]
> 
> ```
> 
> Should work a bit better 😉
> 
> –  
> Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/).

Tested the code and it appears to do it correctly

add /substact rationals  
raise rational to rational  
add/substract rational and integer  
add/substract rational and float

About the only thing I tried but could not do would be rational to mix  
number

Rational(11,7).to\_mix =\> “11 4/7”