2 Divided by 3?????

Rarely have I seen so many like minded gathered together in one place.

I will flag this thread and watch it for further developments.

omg ur so stupid don't you even know basic math!?!?

reply to post by stander


No, 79 is immediately preceded by 78.

And you can find any number you want in anything you want, if you are prepared to make the rules up as you go along, which kind of looks like what's happening here.

reply to post by Rotator

What to do, what to do? How to steer a topic revolving around number 23 in the 23rd reply toward a science issue?

2 and 3 are the first prime numbers, and the word "prime" means "top" or "the most preferable," like the prime minister or prime time in the TV programming.

Is there any term like "the prime scientist?"

Not really, but if there were, the iconic Albert Einstein would have surely successfully vied for the position. And so the first two prime numbers 2 and 3 should be assigned to Albert Einstein.

But what if someone writes 23 instead of 2, 3?

Then that's a mistake. But we are all human, after all. Right, Herr Professor?
discovermagazine.com...

It would make more sense if one assumed that, in the mathematical sense, prime is a derivative of the Latin "prima" meaning "first hour". By definition, a prime number is one that has only two factors: itself and the number one.
As far as the 2/3 issue, the "proper" way to express the result is 0.666 with the last two sixes having a line over them, meaning that the six repeats indefinitely (as in infinity-a whole new exciting avenue to explore!).
The number of decimal places that a computer uses for calculations is defined in units of precision with "single precision" having eight decimal places for example:
0.66666667
Double precision would have sixteen, and so on.
Precision becomes especially important in high-speed numerical computations used for modeling real-life events like automotive crash testing, aerodynamic performance, and other research that may be too expensive or dangerous to conduct. The computer models are based on algorithms derived from the mathematics of the physical system. Some algorithms require a large number (sometimes millions) of recalculations, known as iterations, until a prescribed criteria is satisfied. This is known as convergence. Once the calculation has converged the results consist of numerical values that are really, really close to a satisfactory and logical solution.
One of the most fascinating numbers to study is that of the quantity pi. Pi is defined as the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter. Circumference is the distance around the edge of the circle and diameter is the distance across. The exact value of pi has never been determined. You see, it has an infinite number of non-repeating digits after the decimal place! Another point to ponder: a circle represents infinity and the exact value of pi can only be infinitely expressed.
These are just some of the reasons I absolutely LOVE mathematics!
Dateach

reply to post by imdateach

Well, if you like math, you could figure which two numbers come after 2 and 3.

One would say that there is nothing much to figure, because if 2 and 3 are interpreted as primes, then after 2 and 3 comes 5 and 7. The problem is the word IF. What if 2 and 3 were not taken from the series of primes and both numbers represent something else? For example, if 2 and 3 are positive integers, as they truly are, then after 2 and 3 comes 4 and 5.

It follows that whatever comes after 2 and 3 depends on the description of both numbers. That also applies to the case where any two numbers have some special property, as it is the case with 2 and 3.

The special property of 2 and 3 starts this way: If you keep dividing 2 by 3, the result is a one number that keeps repeating.

2 / 3 = 0.666666666666666666666666666...

(When you get tired of repeating the procedure and suspect that there would be no change in the repeating pattern, you stop and end the result with ellipses (...) to indicate that the sixes will repeat ad infinitum.)

Obviously dividing 2 by 3 takes too much time -- there are just too many sixes to deal with, especially when a person needs just one six. Since division is the opposite to multiplication and many is the opposite to a few, it follows that multiplying 2 by 3 should produce only a few sixes. Let's see . . .

2 x 3 = 6

Here we go. There is only one six in the result.


Are 2 and 3 special numbers in this respect, or are there any other two numbers A and B apart from 2 an 3 where

A / B = 0.CCCCCCCCCCC... and A x B = C ?


This question could be expanded to the case of a repeating group of digits, like in the case of 1 / 7.

1 / 7 = 0.142857 142857 142857 ... ...

In this case, the generalized question asks if

A / B = 0.REPEAT ... ... and A x B = REPEAT.


I actually didn't try to figure this out, so I'm curious if there are any numbers A and B like that apart from 2 and 3.