Comments on: Infinity http://tinsology.net/2009/07/infinity/ Searching for the Right Questions Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:13:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Tinsleyhttp://tinsology.net/2009/07/infinity/comment-page-1/#comment-2077 Tinsley Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:16:38 +0000 http://tinsology.net/?p=831#comment-2077 I think it helps if you think of it in terms of limits. 1/3 - .3 is some value greater than 0. The same goes for 1/3 - .33 and 1/3 - .33333. As the number of 3s after the decimal increases the difference between that number and one third approaches zero. So the limit of that expression as the number of 3s goes to infinity is zero. I think it helps if you think of it in terms of limits. 1/3 – .3 is some value greater than 0. The same goes for 1/3 – .33 and 1/3 – .33333. As the number of 3s after the decimal increases the difference between that number and one third approaches zero. So the limit of that expression as the number of 3s goes to infinity is zero.

]]> By: James Lewitzkehttp://tinsology.net/2009/07/infinity/comment-page-1/#comment-2076 James Lewitzke Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:27:47 +0000 http://tinsology.net/?p=831#comment-2076 Actually, I don't quite agree with the first expression, 1/3 = .3333333333... I say this because if there were a number of infinite threes repeating themselves after a decimal point, it would still never quite equal 1/3, as 1 would always come up short by that .000001. Thus 1/3 cannot be accurately represented in decimal form, IMO. If it were, it would have to be something like .3333333.... with a 1/3 fraction at the end. Actually, I don’t quite agree with the first expression, 1/3 = .3333333333…

I say this because if there were a number of infinite threes repeating themselves after a decimal point, it would still never quite equal 1/3, as 1 would always come up short by that .000001. Thus 1/3 cannot be accurately represented in decimal form, IMO.

If it were, it would have to be something like .3333333…. with a 1/3 fraction at the end.

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