unforum

[thebruce]

[Shish]

> x approaches 100% but never reaches it

it remains 1/inf away from 100%, and as the above shows, 1/inf = 0


> 10x = 999.999999...
> 10x - x = 900.000000...

given that x = 100, then 10x-x = 899.999; and lo, if the theory is wrong then it's just wrong, and if it's right then it /proves/ itself wrong.


As said, I'm quite sure this sort of math belongs in the same place as infinite competing forces, perpetual motion machines, proving a negative, and that sort of stuff...

[jesterkik]

[tanner]

your calc is limited --- each 9 subtracts from the nine in the larger number --- there are no carries therefore it works till infinity -- if you subract 99 from 99.999999... you get 0.9999999... --- i guarantee my proof is correct and i invite you to ask any great mathematical genius in the universe to check it

.

.

[Seej]

[SilentAvenger]

Actually, its a mathematical proven fact that 0.999999 (rep) is equal to 1. Its not lim x->1, its 1. lim x->1 is the biggest (or smallest) possible number which is smaller than 1 (1 - 1/(infinity), cause lim 1/(infinity) -> 0(+)).

Anyways, thebruce, an infinite chance of something happening means that it will happen an infinite number of times. Say, there is an infinite chance of 1 appearing in the string 0.123451234512345 (rep) means that 1 will appear an infinite number of times.

[tanner]

thanks avenger -- i thought i was on my own in here

[neon snake]

*shouts*

Please, PMs, give us more postcards or clues! Or something, anything!

*sobs* Look at what you've done to us...we're rehashing lectures from ten years ago (in my case) on the theory of infinite numbers...*sobs*

[Olorin]

[thebruce]

EDIT: haha! yeah, we need the arg to start... but this is fun for now I'm learning stuff

[neon snake]

Nearly, but not quite. Your argument hinges on stopping at a point (if you count up the nth digit in the infinitely long string that is 'e', there is a bigger chance that you will have found a small string than a large string).

However, 'e' is (to the best of all our knowledge) infinitely long, non-repeating, has no discernable pattern and contains all digits (0-9) - therefore, all possible strings are contained in it.

To try and demonstrate -

Is the digit '8' contained in 'e'? Yes, its the 3rd digit after the decimal point.

Is the string '452' contained in 'e'? Yes, 14 after the decimal point.

Is the string '69811250996' contained in 'e'? Yes, around the 700 mark, just eyeballing it.

I've picked strings that I can see in the first 1000, but you get the point. The longer the string, the further you have to look, but it WILL always be there, you just have to keep looking.

The chance of a 200 digit string being in 'e' is the same as the chance of the string '452' being in 'e' - ie. '1', 100%. It is in there, somewhere.

[Rei]

For all of you strugalling to understand the concept of infinity (or my spelling) I advise you read the introduction to Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy.

[rose]

reverse psychology

[thebruce]

[neon snake]

I know you said it. That's why it's your argument.
I know we've found them. The demonstration would fall pretty flat if I picked numbers we hadn't.