Final answer:
The number 36 is already in its lowest terms as a whole number; as a fraction, it would be represented as 36/1. Therefore, the numerator is 36.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question requires us to reduce the number 36 to its lowest terms and find the numerator of the simplified fraction. However, since 36 is a whole number and not a fraction, it is already in its simplest form. If we insist on writing it as a fraction for the sake of comparison, it would be 36/1, meaning that the numerator is 36. Note that reducing a fraction to its lowest terms generally means dividing both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common divisor (GCD), but in this case, since 36 is not presented as a part of a fraction with a denominator other than 1, there is no reduction needed. Therefore, the numerator remains 36.