ST Alpha - "it's the fact that you don't stop that makes it = 1 and makes it not rounding. -- nm" (Reading a Post)

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In response to "but .999...=1 sure seems like rounding. It seems like as a practical matter to make math work, its users have declared that one thing equals another" by Max

it's the fact that you don't stop that makes it = 1 and makes it not rounding. -- nm

Posted by Reagen (aka Reagen) Mar 5 '10, 13:23

(No message)

Responses:

at some pont it has to stop - Danedukenuuk Mar 5, 13:25 30
- I think you may be missing something about the concept of infinity. -- nm - mara Mar 5, 13:26 8
  - i doubt that ! -- nm - Danedukenuuk Mar 5, 13:31 6
    - "At some point, infinity has to stop" is what it sounded like you were saying. -- nm - mara Mar 5, 13:32 5
      - not infinity but the way we represent infinity :) - Danedukenuuk Mar 5, 13:33 4
        
        The way we, humans, represent infinity in our limited physical capabilities is not important in mathematics -- nm - Guigue Mar 5, 13:42 3
        
        no??? ask Reagan about that - Danedukenuuk Mar 5, 13:44 2
        
        We don't need to calculate it, we (human beings) invented the damn thing! And we decided that 0.999... is the same as 1 -- nm - Guigue Mar 5, 13:48 1
        
        thats my point exactly - Danedukenuuk Mar 5, 14:10
  - Exactly. People are trying to express infinity in a way they can physically understand - Guigue Mar 5, 13:29
- that's what ... is for, to save us time. - Reagen Mar 5, 13:26 20
  - exactly - Danedukenuuk Mar 5, 13:30 18
    - You're right that it's a tool, and the *...* is a tool used to write 1/3 for instance in decimal number - Guigue Mar 5, 13:34 7
      - so 1.333... + 1.333... +1.333... is 4? - Danedukenuuk Mar 5, 13:37 6
        
        Yes to your subject line, and "wtf?" to your IM -- nm - Guigue Mar 5, 13:38 5
        
        heh 3.999... -- nm - Danedukenuuk Mar 5, 13:39 4
        
        well, 3.9999..... = 4, so... -- nm - Reagen Mar 5, 13:40 3
        
        circular logic - Danedukenuuk Mar 5, 13:43 2
        
        no, I'm saying that the two things you posted (once you had it correct) were identical. -- nm - Reagen Mar 5, 13:45 1
        
        Which we've been saying all along - Guigue Mar 5, 13:47
    - It's not about precision, or stopping to save us time. Infinity means you don't stop, ever. - Reagen Mar 5, 13:32 9
      - but since you CAN write an infinite number of "3" you would ever get to the 2nd factor of any calculation involving an infinite number - Danedukenuuk Mar 5, 13:36 8
        
        I assume you mean "can't" but here's the thing - Reagen Mar 5, 13:39 2
        
        how do you know when you have not calculated it? - Danedukenuuk Mar 5, 13:42 1
        
        I'm going to wait for the English translation on this one. -- nm - Reagen Mar 5, 13:43
        
        Uh, you CAN'T write an infinite number of 3s -- nm - Guigue Mar 5, 13:37 4
        
        exactly - Danedukenuuk Mar 5, 13:38 2
        
        I give up, it's impossible to change your mind - Guigue Mar 5, 13:40 1
        
        oh no i never said that - Danedukenuuk Mar 5, 14:11
        
        yes he can - don't try and stop him! -- nm - Beryllium Mar 5, 13:38
  - or maybe we could just help JD find out what the post limit is. -- nm - The Exploding Dano Mar 5, 13:28

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