Understanding Ceil and Floor Functions

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Discussion Overview

The discussion focuses on the ceiling and floor functions in mathematics, specifically their definitions and applications. Participants explore examples of these functions with various inputs, including positive and negative numbers, and clarify misunderstandings regarding their behavior with fractional values.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant poses questions about the values of ceil(4.5), ceil(4.1), and ceil(4.6).
  • Another participant defines ceil(x) as the smallest integer greater than or equal to x, noting that if x is an integer, ceil(x) equals x.
  • Several participants initially suggest incorrect values for ceil(4.5), ceil(4.1), and ceil(4.6), with one participant asserting that ceil(4.5) equals 4.
  • A later reply corrects the earlier claims, stating that all values should be 5, highlighting confusion regarding the treatment of the fractional part .5.
  • Another participant confirms that all values should indeed be 5.
  • One participant provides a mathematical representation of the floor and ceiling functions, detailing their behavior across intervals and integers.
  • A participant explains the behavior of the floor and ceiling functions with negative numbers, providing specific examples.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is a general agreement on the definitions of the ceiling and floor functions, but initial misunderstandings about specific examples led to some disagreement. The discussion reflects a process of clarification rather than a settled conclusion.

Contextual Notes

Some participants had confusion regarding the treatment of fractional parts, particularly with .5, which influenced their initial responses. The discussion includes various examples that illustrate the functions' behavior but does not resolve all potential misunderstandings.

momentum
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Its diifcult to express my question...so, i am posting this

ceil(4.5) =?
ceil(4.1)=?
ceil(4.6)=?
 
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ceil(x) is the smallest integer which is greater than or equal to x. In particular, if x is an integer, then ceil(x) = x, and if x is not an integer, then ceil(x) > x.
 
ceil(4.5)=4 // is it ok ?
ceil(4.1)=4 //is it ok ?
ceil(4.6)=5 //is it ok ?
 
momentum said:
ceil(4.5)=4 // is it ok ?
ceil(4.1)=4 //is it ok ?
ceil(4.6)=5 //is it ok ?
Nope, read the definition given above, then try again.
 
ah...i see, all of them should be 5 ...i had confusion on fractional part .5.
but i see ..it does not care for .5 which we use for round-off.
 
Yes, all 5.
 
thank you for the clarifcation
 
Recall that

[tex]\begin{gathered}<br /> \forall x \in \left( {a,a + 1} \right)\;{\text{where }}a \in \mathbb{Z}, \hfill \\<br /> {\text{floor}}\left( x \right) = \left\lfloor x \right\rfloor = a \hfill \\<br /> {\text{ceil}}\left( x \right) = \left\lceil x \right\rceil = a + 1 \hfill \\ <br /> \end{gathered}[/tex]

[tex]\forall x \in \mathbb{Z},\;\left\lfloor x \right\rfloor = \left\lceil x \right\rceil = x[/tex]
 
Last edited:
ceil -> "goes up" if it needs to, in order reach an integer
floor -> "goes down" as it needs to, in order to reach an integer
What happens with negative numbers:

[tex]floor( -1.1 ) = -2 \; ceil( -1.1 ) = -1[/tex]
[tex]floor( -0.1 ) = -1 \; ceil( -0.1 ) = 0[/tex]
[tex]floor( 0.9 ) = 0 \; ceil( 0.9 ) = 1[/tex]
 

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