Explanation

To determine the smallest fraction among 17/23, 14/15, 15/19, and 16/21, we compare their decimal values:

17 ÷ 23 ≈ 0.7391

14 ÷ 15 ≈ 0.9333

15 ÷ 19 ≈ 0.7895

16 ÷ 21 ≈ 0.7619

17/23 ≈ 0.7391 is the smallest among the given fractions.

The smaller the decimal value, the smaller the fraction.