Re: Epistemology 201: The Science of Science

From: Albert Wagner (albertwagner_at_cox.net)
Date: 03/24/05 

Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2005 20:34:42 -0600

stephen@nomail.com wrote:
> In sci.math Giuseppe Bilotta <bilotta78@hotpop.com> wrote:
> : Lester Zick wrote:
> :> The definition for infinity is that it is undefined.
>
> : Statement contradicted by any dictionary.
>
> My dictionary lists 7 definitions for "infinity". Seems
> like a strange thing to do for a word that is undefined. Most
> of them refer to "infinite". For "infinite" it has
> 9 definitions, none of which are "undefined". The
> closest is
> "unbounded or unlimited; perfect : God's infinite mercy"
>
> The 5th definition is:
> 5. Math. a. not finite. b. (of a set) having elements
> that can be put into one-to-one correspondence with a subset
> that is not the given set
>
> This is the 1994 "Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary"

This is because the 8th definition of infinity is undefined, as
is the 10th definition of infinite.

Why would you expect to find the undefined in a book of definitions? 

-- 
"I know that most men, including those at ease with
problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom
accept even the simplest and most obvious truth
if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity
of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining
to colleagues, which they have proudly taught to others,
and which they have woven, thread by thread,
into the fabric of their lives." -
	-- Tolstoy

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Epistemology 201: The Science of Science
    ... > like a strange thing to do for a word that is undefined. ... > closest is ... This is because the 8th definition of infinity is undefined, ... -- "I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives." ...
    (sci.cognitive)
  • Re: Epistemology 201: The Science of Science
    ... > like a strange thing to do for a word that is undefined. ... > closest is ... This is because the 8th definition of infinity is undefined, ... -- "I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives." ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: .9 repeating
    ... # The modern mathematical concept of infinity is ... ... | This is the next thing to zero. ... It is the closest thing ... | If you leave out the last point on the far end you get .9 repeating. ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: Put a little starch in it (was Re: Any good used book stores near UCLA or
    ... >Fox & Hound is the closest I know of to a pub in this area, ... >strange combination of pub, sports bar and restaurant. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.fandom)
  • Intellisense not working for NumericUpDown.Text
    ... Strange one happening with VS 2003. ... If I put a numericupdown on a form and then type the following: ... string myString = this.numericUpDown1.Text; ... the closest it has in the list is TextAlign. ...
    (microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.csharp)
Quantcast