Re: Re: Zero divided by a number...
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg51786] Re: [mg51760] Re: Zero divided by a number...
- From: DrBob <drbob at bigfoot.com>
- Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2004 02:05:07 -0500 (EST)
- References: <dz50uwrnio0u@legacy> <200411010752.CAA06441@smc.vnet.net>
- Reply-to: drbob at bigfoot.com
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
Amen, Richard. Mathematics doesn't deal with "nothing". Zero and the empty set, yes, but "nothing"? No. Bobby On Mon, 1 Nov 2004 02:52:39 -0500 (EST), Richard <rwprogrammer at hotmail.com> wrote: > I think that you have been mislead about mathematics in general. > Mathematics has nothing to do with God or nature. Mathematics is > defined by man and has only the requirement that it be internally > consistent. > Zero is NOT nothing. It is a number. Mathematitians have made > definitions and rules regarding 0. Those rules define 0, not nature. > > Mathematica handles 0 appropriately. x/0 is undefined for any number > x. > > This is extremely simple to see if only you view division as the > opposite of multipication. > > A/B = C implies that C * B = A. > > 12/4 = 3 because 3*4 = 12. > 0/7 = 0 because 0*7 = 0. > 7/0 is undefined because x*0 does not equal 7 for any number x. > Therefore it has no answer (except undefined). > > You were exactly wrong when you said, "logic goes out the window with > mathematics." It is just the opposite. Mathematics IS logic and vice > versa. What mathematics is NOT is "tricks with numbers" or anything to > do with God or nature. > Logic takes rules and definitions and builds upon them. Division by > zero is undefined, and when Mathematica tells you that something is > undefined, it is not just a glitch or a failure to understand > something. It is telling you that you have evaluated something that is > truely undefined. And that means undefined logically and > intentionally--not as an oversight. > > -Richard > > > On 26 Oct 04 03:20:19 -0400 (EDT), Willex wrote: >> why is it logical to divide zero by a number, but it is not logical > to >> divide a number by zero? It seems to me like dividing nothing by a >> number should be undefined, and dividing a number by nothing should > be >> that number, lest it also be undefined because of the fact that the >> number is divided into zero parts, which is difficult to imagine. > Does >> the number cease to exist, or does it just mean that the number > doen't >> get divided at all? Of course I could argue that Zero itself is not >> defined by nature. Zero is just a place holder representing nothing. >> Logic seems to go out the window when it comes to mathmatics. When >> something doesn't follow the "rules of the mathematics game" its >> thrown out, or just called "undefined". >> >> Mathematics is only just tricks with numbers. Its not a perfect >> system, and those who believe it to be god are only just fooling >> themselves. Arg...*deep breath* ....sorry. I was abused by a math >> teacher, can you tell? *laughs* > > > > -- DrBob at bigfoot.com www.eclecticdreams.net
- References:
- Re: Zero divided by a number...
- From: rwprogrammer@hotmail.com (Richard)
- Re: Zero divided by a number...