Re: A physics question about infinity

In article <r2q3g.599$xX5.41@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Norm Dresner <ndrez@xxxxxxx> wrote:
This is crap. Of course you can -- if properly defined -- add, subtract,
multiply, divide, and even exponentiate -- transfinite values.

But you have to be very careful doing this. Operations involving
infinity are not generally invertible. When manipulating ordinary
formulae you have to be careful to exclude the possibility of a
denominator being zero; once you introduce infinity you have to be
careful about almost every manipulation. For example, if y might be
infinite you can't deduce x=0 from x+y=y.

-- Richard
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: A physics question about infinity
    ... But you have to be very careful doing this. ... infinity are not generally invertible. ... difference between the care which one must use when dealing with zero ... and that which one must use when dealing with an infinity in an extended ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: can Cauchy Swartz inequality work for infinite number of terms?
    ... Since I am studying elementary real analysis ... I have to be al ittle bit careful: ... N -> infinity. ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re : martingale betting system question
    ... >>> What difference would it make whether you pay back twice infinity or only ... >> money to everybody on earth, ... But Richard (Tobin - you should be more careful ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: Cantor and the binary tree
    ... infinity, where neighbours cannot be identified, such as the ... > This property of a set is expessed by or as a transfinite number. ... more basic properties of comparisions ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: infinity
    ... You apply formalism and you are ... the concept of infinity used in mathematics ... the informal use of the term infinity leads ... >> like the transfinite numbers. ...
    (sci.math)
Quantcast