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Cancelling a fraction

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Cancelling a fraction is reducing a quotient of polynomials to lowest terms, the same as reducing 6/8 to 3/4 but with expressions on top and bottom: when the numerator and denominator share a factor, that factor divides out. Like the other algebra forms, this does not need a trailing arrow.

A quotient of polynomials reduces to lowest terms, automatically and on request.

cancel((x^2-1)/(x-1)) // x+1
cancel((x^3-1)/(x-1)) // x^2+x+1
cancel((2x^2+4x)/(2x)) // x+2

A fraction with nothing to cancel is left as written, and so is one whose parts share no polynomial factor.

cancel((x^2+1)/(x-1)) // (x^2+1)/(x-1)