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Can x/0 be divided out |
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| Apr2-04, 02:01 PM | #1 |
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Can x/0 be divided out
Say I had an expression that went like this
[tex]\frac{ 5 \frac{x}{0} }{3 \frac{x}{0} }[/tex] Can I divide those [itex]\frac{x}{0}[/itex] terms or do they make the expression undefined? |
| Apr2-04, 02:04 PM | #2 |
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Nope, you can't divide them out. The entire expression is indeterminate (NOT undefined).
- Warren |
| Apr2-04, 05:42 PM | #3 |
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I wouldn't say you can't divide them out so much as what you wrote is just plain wrong, being polite about it - the symbols make no sense as written.
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| Apr2-04, 06:08 PM | #4 |
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Can x/0 be divided out
I think he means
[tex]\frac{ 5 \cdot \frac{x}{0} }{3 \cdot \frac{x}{0} }[/tex] to be read "5 times x over 0...", not "5 and x zeroths..." - Warren |
| Apr3-04, 04:29 AM | #5 |
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But is still makes no sense. x/0 is not a well-defined symbol in the real number system that one can manipulate like this.
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| Apr3-04, 06:35 AM | #6 |
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I think that was part of his question.
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| Apr3-04, 07:12 AM | #7 |
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1/0.1 is tha same as 1*10
1/0.01 is tha same as 1*100 1/0.001 is tha same as 1*1000 and so on ... 1/0 is the same as 1*oo and in both cases we are no longer in a finite system. oo is a general notation for infinity therefore 1/0 is also a general notation for infinity. Please look at: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Infinity.html |
| Apr3-04, 10:38 AM | #8 |
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"Informally,[itex]1 / \infty = 0[/tex] , a statement which can be made rigorous using the limit concept" You can't just say: [tex]\frac{1}{\infty} = 0[/tex] or any manipulation of that as and think it is mathematically true. |
| Apr4-04, 12:30 PM | #9 |
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Discussion over the foundations of limits split to new thread. Please stop hijacking threads.
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| Thread Closed |
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