| New Reply |
Infinite set of points on a line. |
Share Thread |
| Mar16-12, 02:33 PM | #1 |
|
|
Infinite set of points on a line.
If a line segment of size L, is made up of an infinite amount of points. Then divided into half, and then half again, divided into half to infinity, would this mean that the resulting line segment is a point made up of an infinite amount of points?
Or would it be ∞/∞? |
| Mar16-12, 03:18 PM | #3 |
|
|
What does it mean to do a thing to infinity? Until you are clear on that your question makes no sense.
There is an accepted way to define what you are trying to express which is the intersection of all the line segments. Let us consider the case where we start with the line segment from 0 to 1 and always choose the left half when we divide. So, Let L0 be the line segment from 0 to 1. Let L1 be the line segment from 0 to 1/2. Let L2 be the line segment from 0 to 1/4. ... Let Ln be the line segment from 0 to 1/2^n ... Now let L be the set of points obtained by doing this infinitely many times whatever that means. Clearly whenever we divide we can only remove points, never add. Thus if a point is in L, then it must also be in L1,L2,L3,... since L is contained in all of these. So what points are contained in L1,L2,...? Is -1 in all these? Is 0? Is 1/2? Is 1? Is 2? Once you answer this question I think you should have an idea of how to answer your question in most simple cases. BTW infinity/infinity doesn't really make any sense in this context, or in most mathematical context for that matter. |
| Mar18-12, 07:04 PM | #4 |
|
|
Infinite set of points on a line.
Line is made up an infinitely amount of points right? Then wouldn't half of that line, still being a line, be made up of an infinitely amount of points?
|
| Mar18-12, 07:08 PM | #5 |
|
|
|
| New Reply |
Similar discussions for: Infinite set of points on a line.
|
||||
| Thread | Forum | Replies | ||
| The electric field of infinite line charges and infinite sheet of charges | Introductory Physics Homework | 3 | ||
| Two points on a graph, the mid-point of a line made by these two points is an origin. | Precalculus Mathematics Homework | 6 | ||
| why potential of an infinite line of charge not equals to zero at r = infinite | General Physics | 17 | ||
| Derive electric field of infinite plane from field of infinite line | Introductory Physics Homework | 8 | ||
| 3 Points in a line! | General Math | 4 | ||