Rational numbers

A rational number is a number that can be represented as the ratio of two integers. For example, 2/3 is a rational number, and you can think of 7 as a rational number with an implicit 1 in the denominator. For this assignment, you are going to write a class definition for rational numbers.

1. Create a directory called Complex. Go to

   http://rocky.wellesley.edu/cs230/code/hw00

   and download the files Test.java and Complex.java. Put them in the new directory. Compile and run them using a command like:

   javac Test.java Complex.java; java Test

   We have to compile all the files, but when we run the program we only need to specify the startup class.

   Print a copy of both files and make sure you understand how they work. You should use this example as a template for what follows.

2. Create a new directory named Rational with files called Rational.java and Test.java.
3. The Rational class should have two integers as instance variables; they will contain the numerator and denominator of each Rational object.
4. Write a constructor that takes no arguments and that sets the two instance variables to zero.
5. Write a method called printRational that takes a Rational object as an argument and prints it in some reasonable format.
6. Write a main method in Test that creates a new object with type Rational, sets its instance variables to some values, and prints the object.
7. At this stage, you have a minimal testable (debuggable) program. Debug it. Whenever I start writing a new class, I start with these three steps: instance variables, a simple constructor, and a print method. Then I add methods and test them one at a time.

• Another constructor
• Modifers and functions
• Calculating GCDs