Can You Divide By Zero in Math?

[ShawnD]

Say I had an expression that went like this

\frac{ 5 \frac{x}{0} }{3 \frac{x}{0} }

Can I divide those \frac{x}{0} terms or do they make the expression undefined?

 

[chroot]

Nope, you can't divide them out. The entire expression is indeterminate (NOT undefined).

- Warren

 

[matt grime]

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.

 

[chroot]

I think he means

\frac{ 5 \cdot \frac{x}{0} }{3 \cdot \frac{x}{0} }

to be read "5 times x over 0...", not "5 and x zeroths..."

- Warren

 

[matt grime]

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.

 

[Chen]

I think that was part of his question.

 

[Organic]

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

 

[Zurtex]

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

Note for others, in the link given it goes points out:

"Informally,1 / \infty = 0[/tex] , a statement which can be made <b>rigorous using the limit concept</b>&quot;<br /> <br /> You can&#039;t just say: <br /> <br /> \frac{1}{\infty} = 0 <br /> <br /> or any manipulation of that as and think it is mathematically true.

 

[Hurkyl]

Discussion over the foundations of limits split to new thread. Please stop hijacking threads.