Sasu, David, Peter,
Peter
... difference between 99.9999999999 (recurring)% probability, and 100%
probability. It seems so close, yet they are an infinity apart.
Sasu
99.9999999... equals 100. There is no infinitely small number X you could
add to 99.9999999... that would not take the sum OVER 100. In other words
9.9999999... + X is greater than 100 no matter how small X is.
If S=0.999..., then we can say 10S=9.999..., and if we subtract the former
from the latter we obtain 9S=9, which means S=1.
But it remains odd to me that you can say that 0.999...=1. (Which is
essentially what you were saying.) The "0.999..." is not a fixed value, but
rather it is a process that continues indefinitely, always changing
(dynamic). Whereas the "1" is a fixed value and never changes (static). So
how can they be equal?
Maybe they aren't equal, as Peter suggests. Perhaps the way you phrased it
is best (with minor changes to the numbers to follow my example), "In other
words 0.999... + X is greater than 1 no matter how small X is." This
maintains the sense of what is happening more clearly than saying that
0.999...=1.
Peter
In other words, aside from the arguments as to whether maths is 'discovered'
or 'invented' (which arguments I'm not really familiar with, though I would
like to look into them), as I understand it, maths only work in the
presence of the possibility of absolute-ness', whilst 'reality' (again this
is a personal understanding) is 'NEVER' of the nature of 'absolute'.
I know what you mean, but math is part of reality. It's at the idea level,
and in that realm can maintain its absoluteness (although it can get fuzzy
up there as well, just ask George W). It's when it gets applied to lower
levels to assist in our understanding and description of phenomena that it
often loses it's absolute nature. But it isn't meant to always describe
absolutely, it's "just" a tool to help.
David
What is a proof? A proof is a group of people nodding their heads going,
"Yeah! What he said!"
Wasn't it Voltaire who said certainty is laughable. Proofs have their basis
in axioms and use inductive and deductive reasoning. We use these proofs to
help with our decisions. Without some basis (for whatever is being
discussed) we enter the realm of "whatever you wish" type thinking. I agree
this latter kind of thinking is essential, I couldn't live another day
without a few minutes of daydreaming here and there. This aside, I have
found the MOQ to provide a kind of basis for making decisions that is
removed from being "whatever you wish" but maintains a dynamic and creative
quality.
Ed
MOQ.ORG - http://www.moq.org
Mail Archive - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/
MD Queries - horse@wasted.demon.nl
To unsubscribe from moq_discuss follow the instructions at:
http://www.moq.org/md/subscribe.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sat Aug 17 2002 - 16:00:48 BST