Are You As Thick As.......

[threaded]

Modern secondary school maths teachers?

My mate this week suggested to 15 year old son that he ask his maths teacher the solution to 1/0 (one divided by zero)

What do you think the answer should be?

I do think that is particularly cruel as I doubt many current secondary school maths teachers ever got as far as a maths degree.

Their task is to teach the children to pass the tests set them. Not go wandering off the path doing this personal exploration bollox.

[thunderlizard]

My maths teacher (Hedgehog Harrison) was asked this same question in the early 90s. He said "it's indeterminate". None of us had a clue what that meant, and I still don't, but he said it with such calm assurance that we were completely satisfied with his answer. That's how teaching should be.

[Geek_Bird]

0/0 is more interesting. Is it one, zero, or infinity?

It's zero. Infinity is only achieved if the numerator >0. If you take any number, and in this example, lets say it is 1, then 1/0 = infinity (a number so large, and computer will return an error)

How?
1/1 = 1
1/0.5 = 2
1/0.1 = 10
1/0.01 = 100
1/0.001 = 1000

As the demoninator becomes smaller and smaller the result gets larger and larger. Thus calculus states that as the denominator approaches zero, the answer must be infinity. Modern state secondary maths teachers are just plain fecking thick.

[ASB]

It's zero. Infinity is only achieved if the numerator >0. If you take any number, and in this example, lets say it is 1, then 1/0 = infinity (a number so large, and computer will return an error)

How?
1/1 = 1
1/0.5 = 2
1/0.1 = 10
1/0.01 = 100
1/0.001 = 1000

As the demoninator becomes smaller and smaller the result gets larger and larger. Thus calculus states that as the denominator approaches zero, the answer must be infinity. Modern state secondary maths teachers are just plain fecking thick.

They must have changed the rules then. 0/0 is still undefined surely ?

Say 0/0 = u, then u*0=0. So u = any number you like. Instant problem since all numbers are not equal (apparently).

you can also prove it with your iteration using ratios, something along the lines of d and e are both non zero. Then u/d and u/e are get closer as d and e get closer. I can't remember any more except you end up proving d=e for all values.

[Buffoon]

0 / 0 is undefined as in all cases of division by zero. It is meaningless to ask what value division by zero takes as zero is not in the set that the division functions has values (aka the range of the function). It the equivalent of asking what is the value of the square root of Tuesday.

1 / 0 is not infinity. However, it is true that as x tends towards zero,
1 / | x | tends to infinity, but it has no value at zero.

[Kyajae]

My maths teacher (Hedgehog Harrison) was asked this same question in the early 90s. He said "it's indeterminate". None of us had a clue what that meant, and I still don't, but he said it with such calm assurance that we were completely satisfied with his answer. That's how teaching should be.

The Answer: Infinity/Indeterminate. Geek Bird is right with the theory, that's why calculators and computers return an ERR!!! message.

[sasguru]

The Answer: Infinity/Indeterminate. Geek Bird is right with the theory, that's why calculators and computers return an ERR!!! message.

You seem thick to me.

HTH

[Kyajae]

You seem thick to me.

HTH

Ah, maggot, you're back. Like your new avatar - is it the mask of tw@tman?

[ASB]

The Answer: Infinity/Indeterminate. Geek Bird is right with the theory, that's why calculators and computers return an ERR!!! message.

Nope. It's indertiminate. As my kids would say "plain as". you can argue "tends towards" to justify infinity. Then with the rules for real numbers +infity and -infinity become equal. You could then argue unsigned infinity. Buffoon said indiredctly "it isn't in the set". He/she is right.

If you want an answer a different numbering system is required.

Q: is (a/b) * (b/a) = 1?

A: normally, but not always.

[fzbucks]

isn't anything divided by itself 1?