Maths

[maggiebee]

It's apparently National Maths Day today (seem to have a day for everything).  Now, where did I put my slide rule?

[ToraToraTora]

here's a limerick to celebrate.....

https://ibb.co/xWfCTNk

 

[vulcan42]

Well, that summed it up nicely.

[ToraToraTora]

Did you know that mathematically the population of the universe is zero?

It is known that there are an infinite number of worlds, simply because there is an infinite amount of space for them to be in. However, not every one of them is inhabited. Therefore, there must be a finite number of inhabited worlds. Any finite number divided by infinity is as near to nothing as makes no odds, so the average population of all the planets in the Universe can be said to be zero. From this it follows that the population of the whole Universe is also zero, and that any people you may meet from time to time are merely the products of a deranged imagination. - Douglas Adams H2G2

Virtual BA to the first person to spot the flaw.....

[Old_Geezer]

There is no "must be a finite number of inhabited worlds". That is an assumption which you then go on to show was not useful.

[ToraToraTora]

OG, yes it relies on the theory that not all infinities are the same size. So the number of inhabited worlds is also infinite but that infinity is smaller than the infinity for uninhabited worlds. Go to the top of the class.

[Ken4155]

For those who can't be bothered (or like me, can't remember the solution to the limerick);

 

[THECORBYLOON]

How can the number of inhabited planets be infinite? 

We might not know how many planets are inhabited but it is not an infinite number if we know for a fact that at least seven are not.

[Prudie]

I'd say the flaw is you can't divide by infinity so next steps in the conclusion are invalid.

Mind you I had a similar discussion with my son-in-law once that turned nasty because he used the (apparently acceptable) argument that 0.999 recurring equals 1.

In a similar vein did you know that there is no number that doesn't have something interesting about it.

[Old_Geezer]

Seven not being inhabited does not prevent there still being infinite that are.

 

i.e. ∞ - 7 = ∞

[Radagast]

n = 0.9999...
10n = 9.9999....
9n = 9
n = 1

[ToraToraTora]

9n=89.9991

[Old_Geezer]

Ah, but maybe one of those lines of an infinite number of 9s is a smaller infinity than the other 😁

[Radagast]

9.999... - 0.999... = 9

[youngmafbog]

It's an infinity theory TCL.

[-SharonA-]

I hated maths at school!!! I blamed the teacher, as she wasn't very good at explaining how or why.

[ToraToraTora]

13:26 sadly that theory has not reached nitpicking central.

infinity - N = infinity!

in fact anything you do to infinity = infinity.

[Buenchico]

>>> in fact anything you do to infinity = infinity

Yes, TTT, but which infinity? 😉

https://thatsmaths.com/2014/07/31/degrees-of-infinity/

 

[ToraToraTora]

13:41 christopher, late to the party! 12:47

[THECORBYLOON]

Why must there be an infinite number of planets, inhabited or otherwise?

[Prudie]

Yes radagast that algebra works but we all know that really 0.99999 rec is never going to be a whole 1. There is always the infinitessimal 0.0000rec1 bit missing.