Re: X/0 DEFINED

From: Michael Stemper (mstemper_at_siemens-emis.com)
Date: 10/14/04 

Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2004 12:28:24 -0500

In article <17b9a07c.0410140112.119f2a79@posting.google.com>, raydpratt writes:
>Okay, you torque brains -- I need your help destroying my argument and
>convincing me in clear, simple English that I am wrong.

>X/0 asks us, as with any division problem, to count the number of
>times that we may subtract the denominator from the numerator to the
>limit of the numerator, including any fractional part of the
>denominator that we can subtract from the numerator, and to give that
>count and any said fractional part as our answer. Clearly, we may
>subtract 0 from any non-zero amount an infinite number of times and
>will never reach the limit of any non-zero amount,

You're right up to here. Even if we subtract zero from non-zero an
infinite amount of times, we still will not have depleted the initial
number. In fact, it will be unchanged.

> so the answer is
>Infinity.

Nope. As you just stated above, "infinity" is not enough.

If you subtract two from one hundred forty times, you haven't depleted
the original one hundred. That's why we don't say that this implies
that one hundred divided by two is forty. Similarly, if you move at
a constant rate of zero kilometers per hour, you won't get from Tokyo
to London, even if you wait forever. 

-- 
Michael F. Stemper
#include <Standard_Disclaimer>
This message contains at least 95% recycled bytes.

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