What Does Infidential Mean in the Theory of Infinity?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of "infidential" in relation to the theory of infinity, exploring its implications in mathematics and the nature of infinitesimals. Participants engage in a mix of theoretical exploration and clarification of terms, with references to calculus and the historical context of infinitesimals.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Historical

Main Points Raised

  • One participant proposes that every moment is "infidential," suggesting that time and numbers can be infinitely divided.
  • Another participant asserts that the only infinitesimal number in real numbers is 0, while acknowledging the existence of other types of numbers that can be infinitesimal.
  • A question is raised about the implications of the reciprocal of infinity and its relationship to 0.
  • Discussion includes a definition of "infinitesimal" as a number smaller than any positive fraction.
  • Some participants express skepticism about the practical applications of infinitesimals, suggesting that knowledge is only useful when applied.
  • Historical references are made to Newton's and Leibniz's differing views on infinitesimals, with a focus on their roles in calculus.
  • One participant humorously interprets "infidential" in a non-mathematical context, suggesting a misunderstanding of the term used by the original poster.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the concept of infinitesimals and the term "infidential," with some agreeing on definitions while others contest the relevance and clarity of the original post. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the meaning and implications of "infidential."

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the clarity of definitions and the application of concepts discussed, particularly regarding the term "infidential" and its intended meaning. The discussion also reflects varying interpretations of historical mathematical concepts.

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This is the theory I made, saying that every moment is infidential.
Lets just say 1 second can be dividied into 100milliseconds, and 100milliseconds can be divided into the next smallest unit and so, this process is infidential...
Same with digits.
Lets take an interger 1. We can divide it into smaller units.(decimals)
lets divide them into 0.111, and let's compare it to 0.1111 it's not the same eg, 0.1 is equal to 0.10000. But digits are made of infinity.
0.4124685454, it can have as much division but it can be divided into units of infinity...
 
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Haha, many people have stated something similar over and over again and often by doing this they get very confused and lost on where the actual maths is.

The only infinitesimal number (a number infinitely small) in the real numbers is 0.

There are other types of numbers though where you do get infinitesimal numbers other than 0 and if you are interested I'm sure one of our members can find a link on such numbers, they are a interesting read often.
 
yeah so doesn the mean that because o is smaller than the reciprocal of infinity
that the reciprocal of 0 is greater than infinity
 
That is true and you run down the battery to your calculator what is the point.
 
A definition of "infinitessimal" that is usually right is this:

A number x is infinitessimal if and only if |x| < 1 / n for every positive integer n.
 
Yes it is correct but what is the point. It is used slightly in differential and integral calculus and in geometry (forget the application). I remember it dealt with rotation. It might be slightly useful for Planck's length.

No one has pointed out an application.

Knowledge is only usefull if applied.
 
The "infintiessimals" you see in standard analysis are in quotes: they're not the real deal.

Recall that Newton's invention of calculus was based on infinitessimals -- the derivative was an infinitessimal quantity divided by another infinitessimal quantity, which happily gave a finite quantity we could manipulate.

Clearly, infinitessimals have some intuitive appeal. And if Mathworld is to believed, infinitessimal based approaches to analytic theorems tend to be, on average, shorter and cleaner than standard proofs.

Try looking into Nonstandard Analysis.
 
Hurkyl, just a note:
Newton is quite explicit on that the numerator and denominator should NOT be considered as numbers on their own; it is their limiting fraction which is a well-defined number.
He makes a great analogy by saying that if we looked at an expression like [tex]\frac{2x}{x}[/tex] and then made x as big as we wanted, then no one would say that either the numerator or denominater qualified as numbers, yet the fraction is well-defined in the limit..
In his theory of fluxions, it is the quantity [tex]\frac{\dot{y}}{\dot{x}}[/tex] he ascribes meaning, the fluxions themselves are seen as little more than convenient tools for calculation with not much meaning by themselves.


It was Leibniz who thought of infinitesemals as numbers, not Newton.
 
Last edited:
You are all wrong.

In his post he does not use the word infinitesimal. He uses the word infidential. Infidential means "to dentistrify", where dentistrify means "to perform dentistry upon oneself." With a little context it is clear that the OP is a tale of masturbatory orthodonty, during which one's teeth are cleaned with a very, very thin floss.
 

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