Opinions on infinitely close things?

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Radarithm
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Opinions
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
3 replies · 2K views
Radarithm
Gold Member
Messages
158
Reaction score
2
What are your opinions on infinitely close objects / numbers?
I believe in them, because I can say 3.9 is close to four, but 3.999 is as well, and so is 3.99999999.
I've heard of LOTS of scientists who disagree with this, can anyone prove this wrong (or right)?
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
I would agree that 3.9 is close to four, and 3.999 is closer to it even, but no finite amount of 9's will make it equal to four.

I suggest reading https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=507001 first, then we'll talk :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The distance between two nonequal real numbers is a positive real number. Since there is no smallest positive real number, there is no number ##x## "infinitely close to" ##y## with ##x \neq y##.

Proof that there is no smallest positive real number: you supply your candidate ##x > 0##, I'll respond with ##x/2##.
 
It depends on how you define "number".