sometimes i ponder the concept of a CPU built for rational numbers a/b + c/d -> ( ad + cb ) / bd usually in computers there is someone that has already "tried

sometimes i ponder the concept of a CPU built for rational numbers a/b + c/d -> ( ad + cb ) / bd usually in computers there is someone that has already "tried it" (example - trinary computers) but i haven't found stories of rational CPU experiments. surely some mad scientist tried it at some point. hoping HN commenters can point me to some history.