Zero equals infinity

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: MissSmartypants

Dick Cavett was my first TV star crush...back when all the other girls were crazy about David Cassidy. I just knew Dick and I were soul mates.

a reply to: dfnj2015

The reason why you cannot divide by zero is because an infinity of numbers and beyond can be used!

So yes, despite Phage’s rash comment, zero, can, in a sense, be considered “infinite”. And not only algebra but the calculus works too! Although you may have to declare it as undefined to make a continuous function. Heck, that is what analysis is all about... zeros, asymptotes, and boundaries.

You may want to flesh out your idea or link something that made you ponder such notions. Like, I ‘ve been following quantuamagazine.org and imaginary numbers lately.

S+F, because nobody else has!!

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

You can't divide by zero because it makes no sense.

Divide a pie into the right number of pieces to serve x people. When there's nobody there.

Infinity exists in math, but not in the real world, as far as we know. For the most part, when infinity shows up in the math, that's a huge warning flag to physicists that their theories are incorrect and/or incomplete -- or simply not up to the task.

For example, when the math part of the physics of a black hole tells a physicist that the black hole has a singularity of infinite density, then the physicist knows that their physics has a problem. They know there is probably no such real thing as an infinitely dense one-dimensional point, even if the math suggests it.

a reply to: Phage

You can't divide by zero because it makes no sense.

That's what they want you to think.

a reply to: Box of Rain

Nope.

The density of sphere of 0 radius is undefined. That is not the same as infinite.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: Box of Rain

Nope.

The density of sphere of 0 radius is undefined. That is not the same as infinite.

You're right. I shouldn't have specified the singularity as much as just infinite density in general.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

You can't divide by zero because it makes no sense.

Divide a pie into the right number of pieces to serve x people. When there's nobody there.

But, undefined behaviour can be really 'fun'.

In mathematics,
"infinity" is often treated as a number
(i.e., it counts or measures things:
"an infinite number of terms")
but it is not the same sort of number
as either a natural or a real number.

Georg Cantor formalized many ideas related to infinity
and infinite sets during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Infinite technically is an adjective.

Like this page is white,
similarly this series is infinite,
but infinity is a noun.

It means a certain quantity
which is not a fixed number
but bigger than any given number.

Infinity ∞ is not a number,
but an idea that describes: something growing without bound.

@the13thbridge

a reply to: Phage

Zero is not an integer like all the others. It is a place holder between concepts.

Any and all “numbers” can be multipled with zero to make “infinity” but that is not what zero is.

Which is why it is undefined and not allowed.

a reply to: iN12D

The infinite does indeed have a place in mathematics. And it has nothing to do with zero.

www.khanacademy.org...

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

Any and all “numbers” can be multipled with zero to make “infinity”

No.

Which is why it is undefined and not allowed.

Multiplication by 0 is indeed allowed.

a reply to: Phage

As you pointed out with the pie, if you can continuously cut it into discrete chunks then it does not make sense to call zero an entity. But it is not discrete in that sense.

If you can divide a number in an infinite number of ways, you should give it a name. We call it ‘zero’ and instead of bringing this concept up over and over again we disallow it’s use.

You are using the Zeno Paradox of discrete objects, integers, in infinite space. We call it zero. And it can be an infinity depending on its application or a “no thing”.

a reply to: Phage

Ohhhhhh!

Zero is the numerical manifestation of quantum superposition!

Zero and infinity (well +infinity, zero and -infinity if we're being pedantic) are just placeholders for concepts we use to represent mathematical limits. The ancient Romans got by perfectly well without needing to be concerned about the infinitely large and infinitely small because everything in their real world had real measurable characteristics, anything with a size of 0 didn't rate a mention so they didn't even need a symbol for it.

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

We call it zero.

Incorrect.

a reply to: dfnj2015

"Zero equals infinity"

Rather a boundless statement.

a reply to: Phage

Mahalo.

What is it’s name?

PS - Public School kid. Only Hawaiian I can recall!!

originally posted by: TEOTWAWKIAIFF
a reply to: Phage

Mahalo.

What is it’s name?

PS - Public School kid. Only Hawaiian I can recall!!

What about:

Book'em Dano

originally posted by: TycoonBarnaby
a reply to: dfnj2015

Infinity is not a number.

Zero isn't much either.