I thought that I was good at Math

[KillerGremlin]

Yeah, Typhoid has it down. Think about it.

0 and 1
0, .5, 1
0, .5, .25, 1
0, .5, .25, .125, 1

The series goes on infinitely. You can break it down however you want, there is an infinite set of numbers between 0 and 1.

Edit: I'm not sure about the last part of your post though. If I recall, there are more numbers between 0 and 1 then there are between 0 and infinity, but I don't know what type of numbers were being used, ie. real numbers, ect.

I'm going to consult google and get back to this thread.

[GameMaster]

Originally Posted by The Germanator

Nah, Bill Gates is the richest man in the world and he is only worth 40 Billion or so. Obviously a lot, but the only things that have trillions of dollars are entire countries/governments.

Last year, a classmate said that the founder/owner of Ikea surpassed Gates wealth. Since he's from Sweden, maybe it comes out to be less when you convert it?

[KillerGremlin]

Infinity, The Truth About (Real)
What Is It?

In some circumstances, infinity (to be algebraically represented in this article by the letter "I") can be used as a number:

in order to engineer a formula,
to extract and display some theory, or
to fill some empty space on a text book.
However, in most cases, it makes a very bad number, and is mostly used as a concept. The reason for this is that it isn't really a number.

Take the following rules:

Infinity divided by a finite number is infinite (I / f = I);
Any finite number divided by infinity is a number infinitesimally larger than, but never equal to, zero (f / I = 1 / I);
Infinity divided by infinity is one (I / I = 1),
or in fact any other positive number (I / I = and so on...);
Infinity multiplied by zero (no infinity) is zero (I * 0 = 0);
Infinity divided by a positive finite number is infinity (I / +f = I);
Infinity divided by a negative finite number is minus infinity (I / -f = -I);
Infinity divided by zero is not possible;
Infinity plus infinity is infinity (I + I = I);
Zero divided by infinity (nothing divided into infinity) equals zero (0 / I = 0);
Infinity plus a finite number is infinity (I + f = I);
Infinity minus a finite number is infinity (I - f = I); but
Infinity minus infinity, due to the nature of infinity, can be zero, infinity, or minus infinity (I - I = -I, 0, I).
In some of these respects it appears to be a number; it shares some of the same properties. Unfortunately, when you start using it as a number, you experience a few problems. You might be thinking, so why isn't it a number? Well, if it is, then it is each and every imaginable and unimaginable number, while being none of them. If you can define a number, it isn't infinity. Therefore, infinity is not a number.

Perhaps then, it is lots of numbers. Perhaps a variable? Well, this is an interesting point to consider, but again, any number you might apply to infinity, is quite obviously not infinity. It doesn't matter how many numbers you apply to it, if they are numerable, they are not infinity.

Can you calculate it? Well, considering the nature of infinity, no. As soon as you apply a value to infinity, you find that it isn't. Pick a number; you can always add one more.

So what can you use it for? In most cases, people use infinity to replace a number that is so large, they can't be bothered to work it out. Infinity is usually applied to the boundless limits of space, and time. The theory being that if you go far enough in space, you can go further [1], and time is just as bad.

The closest way to experience infinity is to buy an "auto-reverse" tape recorder, fix it to a reliable power source, and never turn it off. Of course, you will never really experience infinity this way, as you will eventually die, the tape will break, the machine will break, or the power source will die [2].

Curiosities
Here follows a couple of examples of how one might happily misuse infinity for their own amusement, cheerfully putting a few rules to one side:

If I + I = I and I + 2 = I
Then I + I = I + 2
So I = I + 2 - I
Then I = 2

But in the same spirit you could also say that:

Since I + 2 = I and I - 4 = I
Then I + 2 = I - 4
So 2 + 4 = 0
Then 2 = -4

Which is completely absurd, and is therefore the basis of most of the most advanced forms of modern creative accounting. In fact, all this proves is that infinity is most definitely not a constant value, and trying to use it as one can cause all manner of problems. Trying to fiddle with the rules of infinity can be hazardous to your health.

http://www.galactic-guide.com/articles/8R69.html

There you go, some insight on infinity. I'm going to get a better source though...

http://www.ping.be/~ping1339/sequences.htm <----super technical site about infinity.

[Seth]

Originally Posted by GameMaster

Last year, a classmate said that the founder/owner of Ikea surpassed Gates wealth. Since he's from Sweden, maybe it comes out to be less when you convert it?

How could he have surpassed billy if it comes out as less when converted? Either he did or didn't. The world market doesn't hinge on the US dollar. anyway, blah




I have a question!!!


How much is the catholic church worth? I'd guess over a trillion with all their real estate and such. But, I've never actually heard a figure put forth so it's all just musing.

[Canyarion]

The Googol is actually less than the centillion. Look at it:
"100 centillion 1,000 followed by 100 groups of three zeros
One GOOGOL is a ONE followed by 100 zeroes."

Centillion is 130 times bigger. (1000+100*3=1300 zeroes)

Ofcourse the Googolplex is still the biggest one...

[Yugi Starwind]

wow. that's pretty insightful. i wonder if anything will ever amount to the size of a googolplex. If something does, maybe it'll be something like a nebula or a galazy [/ random guesses]

[DimHalo]

Originally Posted by Yugi Starwind

wow. that's pretty insightful. i wonder if anything will ever amount to the size of a googolplex. If something does, maybe it'll be something like a nebula or a galazy [/ random guesses]

Or the United States deficit.

[Dyne]

Originally Posted by GameMaster

Last year, a classmate said that the founder/owner of Ikea surpassed Gates wealth. Since he's from Sweden, maybe it comes out to be less when you convert it?

This is true. But I'm sure it comes out as more when you convert it.

[Crashette]

Originally Posted by jeepnut's slave

Or the United States deficit.

Haha ------> Sad but true

[Canyarion]

What, you don't think there are more than a Googolplex atoms?

[Blackmane]

In what, the planet? The galaxy? The universe?

Don't forget how big a googolplex is. A mole of atoms is only 6.626e23


Edit: Some fun tidbits I found out about a googolplex.

If you made a program to hold a googolplex. It would take up about 10e95 megabytes of hard drive space.

If you ran a program to calculate a googolplex with the fastest microprocessors we have, At today's speed, the program will run for 3.125*10^85 years.

Thats big.

[GameMaster]

Originally Posted by Canyarion

What, you don't think there are more than a Googolplex atoms?

Of course not. Atoms aren't even real. Just like the googoplex, atoms are a silly concept created by humans who feel uncomfortable if they can't understand and define everything in our world. Numbers are false and so are atoms. You will never be able to unlock or define the secrets of life and the universe. It is beyond us forever.

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by GameMaster

Of course not. Atoms aren't even real. Just like the googoplex, atoms are a silly concept created by humans who feel uncomfortable if they can't understand and define everything in our world. Numbers are false and so are atoms. You will never be able to unlock or define the secrets of life and the universe. It is beyond us forever.

Sure. You might as well just melt into nothingness now and never melt back.