The top number of a fraction is called the numerator.
The numerator represents the number of equal parts being considered out of a whole that is divided into parts, which is indicated by the bottom number of the fraction, called the denominator. For example, in the fraction 3/4, 3 is the numerator, which tells us that we have three parts, while 4 is the denominator, indicating that the whole is divided into four equal parts. Understanding the roles of the numerator and denominator is crucial for performing operations with fractions, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.