Re: Well Ordering the Reals

William Hughes said:
>
> Tony Orlow wrote:
> > David R Tribble said:
> > > William Hughes wrote:
> > > > OK, so given
> > > > 0:0...010...0
> > > >
> > > > I have no idea what this means until I have a lot more information
> > >
> > > Which makes it pretty obvious that Tony's notation is vastly
> > > incomplete. If we can't use it to represent a number in no
> > > uncertain terms, what good is it? If we always have to explain
> > > parenthetically how the sizes and digit positions for each number
> > > are different than those of all the other numbers we write, what
> > > good is the notation?
> > >
> > >
> > If I can't get a good answer to 3.4*+13-, then what good is arithmetic?
>
>
> Bad example. Ask rather: what is 12.5 *x + 16.7*y ?
> You certainly cannot answer this without knowing what x and y are.
> Nor does it help much to say, all you need to know to know
> the value of 12.5*x is the value of x.
>
> -William Hughes
>
Yes, I have tried to use examples like
2x+3y-5z=9
4x-5y+7z=14
so what are x, y and z?

Virgil seems to expect my numbers to be able to come in any form he can dream
up. Next he is going to ask me to express sqrt(-aleph_0) plus an onion to the
eggplant power, diced. haha




>
> Be
> > serious. If you can't specify what number you are talking about, how do you
> > expect to get any exact results? Oh yeah, you don't. If it's countable, it's
> > aleph_0. How interesting!
> > --
> > Smiles,
> >
> > Tony
> > http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/aeo6/WellOrder/
>
>

--
Smiles,

Tony
http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/aeo6/WellOrder/
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Well Ordering the Reals
    ... David R Tribble said: ... Tony, I have two numbers: ... So you're saying that your notation does not convey sufficient ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: Well Ordering the Reals
    ... > David R Tribble said: ... >>> It's your math, Tony. ... define x>y if the most significant digit where they differ is a 1 in x and a 0 ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: infinity
    ... Do they all occupy different locations on your ... >> Smiles, ... > weirder and weirder. ... Tony ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: infinity
    ... David R Tribble said: ... Yes, all infinitesimals have a vlaue of zero, on the finite ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: Orlow cardinality question
    ... >>> least haven't been since the time of Euclid) ... >> Smiles, ... Oh, Newton didn't develop calculus to describe the motion of physical bodies, ... Tony ...
    (sci.math)