The question is self-explanatory, I suppose. Example, the maximum number of digits in the repeating block of 1/17 is 16. Thanks in advance.
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Relevant: http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/298844/period-of-repeating-decimals – Arthur Jun 10 '14 at 14:39
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When you calculate the decimal value of $\frac{1}{x}$, you can only have x-1 possible remainders as you divide $1$ by $x$. You will only stop if you reach zero.
But if you reach the same number twice, then everything will start to repeat. Thus it has to repeat after at most x-1 divisions.
Edwin_R
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