{
  "id": "programming.types.integer-division-gives-fraction",
  "uri": "https://open-misconceptions.github.io/miscon-data/m/programming.types.integer-division-gives-fraction",
  "uuid": "f884573f-e177-4865-9cbb-e334397e406a",
  "version": "0.1.1",
  "status": "draft",
  "trust": "low",
  "title": "Dividing two integers gives a fraction",
  "statement": "Dividing one whole number by another gives the exact mathematical result with a fractional part, whatever the types involved.",
  "kind": "overgeneralization",
  "domain": "programming.types",
  "about": [
    {
      "scheme": "Miscon",
      "uri": "https://open-misconceptions.github.io/miscon-data/c/programming.types.integer-division"
    }
  ],
  "level_band": [
    "secondary",
    "undergraduate"
  ],
  "locale": "en",
  "evidence_patterns": [
    {
      "item_shape": "predict the result of integer division in a language that truncates",
      "signature": "predicts the exact quotient",
      "example": {
        "item": "int x = 7 / 2;\nSystem.out.println(x);",
        "expected": "3",
        "response": "3.5"
      }
    },
    {
      "item_shape": "compute an average of integers",
      "signature": "divides an int sum by an int count and expects a decimal average",
      "example": {
        "item": "int total = 7, n = 2;\ndouble avg = total / n;",
        "expected": "3.0 (integer division happens first)",
        "response": "3.5"
      }
    }
  ],
  "discriminators": {
    "vs_slip": "Consistent across items; the learner is surprised by 3 and cannot explain it. A slip is forgetting a cast once while knowing the rule."
  },
  "relations": {
    "conflicts_with": [
      {
        "external": "https://open-misconceptions.github.io/miscon-data/c/programming.types.integer-division",
        "label": "Dividing two integers gives an integer result"
      }
    ],
    "resolved_by": [
      {
        "external": "https://open-misconceptions.github.io/miscon-data/c/programming.types.integer-division",
        "label": "Dividing two integers gives an integer result"
      }
    ]
  },
  "provenance": {
    "sources": [
      {
        "type": "paper",
        "citation": "Qian, Y., & Lehman, J. (2017). Students' misconceptions and other difficulties in introductory programming: A literature review. ACM Transactions on Computing Education, 18(1), Article 1.",
        "doi": "10.1145/3077618",
        "note": "Integer division and type-related misconceptions in the review."
      },
      {
        "type": "book",
        "citation": "Sorva, J. (2012). Visual Program Simulation in Introductory Programming Education (Doctoral dissertation, Aalto University). Appendix A catalogues introductory programming misconceptions from the literature.",
        "url": "https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/handle/123456789/3534"
      }
    ],
    "origin": "llm-drafted",
    "notes": "Drafted from the cited literature for the Open Misconceptions seed pack; statement, examples and discriminators are original text. Awaiting maintainer review."
  },
  "history": {
    "changelog": [
      {
        "version": "0.1.1",
        "date": "2026-09-05",
        "change": "Schema 0.2 migration: about/alignments carry a free-string scheme (corestandards.org URLs relabelled CCSS where present); trust computed from reviews[] (none yet, so low); no change to the statement or evidence."
      }
    ]
  },
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0"
}