Your Favorite Number - What's Yours and Why?

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In summary, the conversation was about discussing favorite numbers and the reasons behind their choices. Many different numbers were mentioned, including 2, pi, 42, 27, 4, 9, 6, 7, 0, 1, 11, googolplex, and infinity. The conversation also touched on concepts such as the Golden Ratio, cardinality, and transcendentals.
  • #36


Calrid said:
Philosobabble you might want to give it a miss. :tongue:

I think so. :biggrin:

I don't think anyone can conceive of the infinity or represent it without an allusion which makes the definition non constructive and without any terms as well as useless. But its just an opinion.

the infinities...

"Can't conceive", I'll buy; "can't represent" is a bit of a contradiction here. I'm pretty sure mathematicians have managed to represent them precisely.
 
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  • #37


Ivan Seeking said:
I think so. :biggrin:
the infinities...

"Can't conceive", I'll buy; "can't represent" is a bit of a contradiction here. I'm pretty sure mathematicians have managed to represent them precisely.

Ok show me infinity.

And don't say aleph 0, that is not an infinity any more than a property defines existence ie cardinality.

It is a completely non constructive proof that cannot be proved outside of itself and that no one really thinks about these days. Which in laymens terms means its pretty much only inductively provable and has no application to anything and never will.

Kant would of laughed.

Its a circular axiom how can something which cannot be defined that is more than the universe be defined and have any use? Sure you could take a photo of a fairy but would that mean the fairy was real or that you just used little cardboard fairy cut outs to make it look like they were real.

Bit of a derail take it to the thread if you want to discuss it further. Its an ontological issue and therefore its epistemology is arguable.

It's also not a new argument and has been going on for thousands of years.
 
  • #38


jhae2.718 said:
Don't tell that to the Pythagoreans.

:devil: :mad: :bugeye:
 
  • #39


Dembadon said:
My favorite number is 0, and my second favorite number is 1.

Oh, and eleventy.

What about twelvty the number of precious things in the shop?

Nice round number that.
 
  • #40


calrid said:
ok show me infinity.

1, 2, 3...
 
  • #41


Dembadon said:
Oh, and eleventy.

:rofl: and beventeen :tongue2:
 
  • #42


Ivan Seeking said:
1, 2, 3...

That's symbolic. Really should take this to the thread because its a bit of a derail. I'd be happy to discuss it with you there but I'll leave you with this:

Can you draw a perfect circle even with a computer program?

How would you measure it was perfectly in proportion to pi?

is 3.141... = pi? Or is it an approximation.

Using calculus show me how pi = pi?

Now using transfinities, or aleph numbers in number theory, as limits, show me how the area under the graph is larger or smaller than pi if it is a decimal, and if it is a fraction?

How can you diagonalise a concept that cannot be defined in discrete steps?

How can you utilise something that is more than a limit to reality?

What exists outside of time and space?

How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

How can you define god?
 
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  • #43


HeLiXe said:
:rofl: and beventeen :tongue2:

Squillions is my personal fave.

And umumloads.
 
  • #44


SEVENTEEN !

Where things happen in seventeens, or things are divisible by or are multiples of seventeen, then this is both a manifestation of and evidence of the Creator's handiwork. In the number seventeen, we find the most aesthetic satisfaction.

There are 17 wallpaper symmetry groups.
A sattelite in the lowest possible orbit will circle the Earth 17 times per day.
The mass of Neptune is 17 times that of the Earth.
There are 17 sylabbles in a haiku poem.
The cicada has a seventeen year life cycle.
One day it will be proven that the universe has 17 dimensions.
I am looking for a soulmate, but only if she's 17.
If anyone knows something about 17, let me know.
 
  • #45


Calrid said:
Squillions is my personal fave.

And umumloads.
Brazilians are nice.
 
  • #46


Calrid said:
Squillions is my personal fave.

And umumloads.
LOLOL I've never heard of umumloads...instant favorite :biggrin:
Helios said:
If anyone knows something about 17, let me know.
It is inferior to beventeen
 
  • #47


HeLiXe said:
LOLOL I've never heard of umumloads...instant favorite :biggrin:

It is inferior to beventeen

It's not as perfectly square as twelvty though. Although in number theory beventeen is considered the highest order transdefinite number between at least some and lots.

Some people claim you can have more than lots or even umumloads the highest cardinal nondefinite numeration, but they are just idiots, more than lots what like squillionsgajillions+zillions that's just the same as saying umumloads please, idiots. :rolleyes:
 
  • #48


:rofl: Caldrid you are killing me! How can I now focus on my illogical English assignment?
 
  • #49


HeLiXe said:
:rofl: Caldrid you are killing me! How can I now focus on my illogical English assignment?

Pfft how can you be doing English when I am handing you the secrets of the Universe.

Peasant! :wink:

It's probably illogical because you don't understand twelvty properly anyway. Couldn't hurt..?
 
  • #50


Believe it or not, and I am not sure I do, I saw a few years ago a taxi in London with registration plate TXI 1729.
 
  • #51


What a great thread topic:

Mine is 6 haha OR inifinity
 
  • #52


My favorite numbers are

0, because we express a number as infinitely big with infinity but it isn't really a real number, and something as infinitely small (positive) as a zero which is a real number,

and 42, because it is the answer to the universe according to Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy.
 
  • #53


Maybe 2701?
 
  • #54


Calrid said:
[...]

It's probably illogical because you don't understand twelvty properly anyway. Couldn't hurt..?

One must first investigate the properties of eleventy before concerning oneself with twelvty.
 
  • #55


Favorite: 1729.03
Reason: Richard Feynman's great story about his duel against an abacus wielding Thai.

Second favorite: 42
Reason: Same reason Lewis Carroll liked that number - gravity trains! Even though the concept couldn't possibly work, Carroll liked that number so much that it appears over and over in his "Alice" books.
 
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  • #56


Calrid said:
That's symbolic. Really should take this to the thread because its a bit of a derail. I'd be happy to discuss it with you there but I'll leave you with this:

I [and you] said "represent". Yes, I can represent all sorts of concepts with symbols, including infinity.

1, 2, 3... is an exact representation.
 
  • #57


3, don't know why. And any measuring number my wife uses in her (delicious) recipies - "a little", "not too much", "enough", "some"...
 
  • #58


I like 3 too! and 5! my faves :)
 
  • #59


37 is the best number of all time!
 
  • #60


6928
 
  • #61


4.468x10^9
 
  • #62


Actually, I want to change my number to a number with units...

3,000,000 posts :biggrin:
 
  • #63


Calrid said:
Pfft how can you be doing English when I am handing you the secrets of the Universe.

Peasant! :wink:

It's probably illogical because you don't understand twelvty properly anyway. Couldn't hurt..?

Forgive me! Please show me the way. *humbles self*

I think three and five are cool also nuclear girl :)
 
  • #64


47, the quintessential random number.
 
  • #65


and prime too <3
 
  • #66


This thread has the potential to be a treasure of geek references.
 
  • #67


Ivan Seeking said:
I [and you] said "represent". Yes, I can represent all sorts of concepts with symbols, including infinity.

1, 2, 3... is an exact representation.

No it isn't.

Are you telling me that represents exactly all the numbers up to infinity.

Lol

I think you need to study philosophy a little if you remotely think that pi = 3.141... or that aleph 0 exactly represents all the whole numbers that can be counted in an infinite amount of time and perhaps calculus.

Just repeating yourself doesn't make it true.

You can put it in a bigger font and change the colour if you like. You are human you cannot conceive of something that your brain cannot imagine because of physical laws that prohibit infinity. Get used to it. Nothing changes your limits any more than the value of pi can never be represented or measured to the infinite degree of accuracy. You are asymptotically bound to that which can exist. Beyond that which can exist is trite therefore, when you can barely comprehend that which can, let alone the limit to which it approaches.
 
  • #68


Calrid said:
the value of pi can never be represented or measured to the infinite degree of accuracy

Symbol π represents value of pi with infinite degree of accuracy.

We will be never able to express this value in a positional system, but that's completely different problem.
 
  • #69


Borek said:
Symbol π represents value of pi with infinite degree of accuracy.

We will be never able to express this value in a positional system, but that's completely different problem.

You used the word represent it is not a photograph of pi to infinite decimals now is it it is an analogy. Or are you claiming it is? I don't know I've heard worse nonsense from people.

D the letter is exactly represented as far as I can tell by D. Pi however cannot be visually or mentally represented to all its places it can only be approximated with a symbol we call pi.

Tell you what you start representing pi to all its decimal places now and then at t=infinity when you're done I'll give you a medal, hell I'm feeling generous how about a bajillion pounds. Or perhaps twelvty beventeen cookies.
 
  • #70


Are you trying to tell us that symbol 2 doesn't exactly represent number 2 to infinite decimals?
 

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