How Many Holes Are There in a Straw?

[Mock Turtle]

Follow-up question, primarily to those that answered zero:

Cambridge dictionary defines a hole as an empty space in an object, usually with an opening to the object's surface, or an opening that goes completely through an object.

hole

1. an empty space in an object, usually with an opening to the object's…

dictionary.cambridge.org

Does this not fit the definition of the empty space in a straw? Of not, why not?

@Rival @mangalavara @RestlessSoul @Mock Turtle

Probably does fit this, but not so many other definitions of a hole. What happens when we flatten the straw - is the hole still there?

 

[SalixIncendium]

What happens when we flatten the straw - is the hole still there?

No, but then again, if I smash a donut from the sides, the hole isn't there either.

 

[Mock Turtle]

No, but then again, if I smash a donut from the sides, the hole isn't there either.

If I cut the straw into an infinite number of slices, have I created an infinite number of holes - from the one hole?

 

[Stevicus]

Follow-up question, primarily to those that answered zero:

Cambridge dictionary defines a hole as an empty space in an object, usually with an opening to the object's surface, or an opening that goes completely through an object.

hole

1. an empty space in an object, usually with an opening to the object's…

dictionary.cambridge.org

Does this not fit the definition of the empty space in a straw? Of not, why not?

@Rival @mangalavara @RestlessSoul @Mock Turtle

I think it's more a matter of whether one considers the "hole" to the be the synonymous with "opening." If the opening is the hole, then there would be two openings, and two holes. If the hole is the space between the openings, then it's one hole, two openings. Of course, it seems odd to refer to the entire straw as a "hole." If someone said "There's a hole in my straw," I would infer that to mean there's a hole in the side of the straw which can impede the flow when drinking through it.

 

[SalixIncendium]

If I cut the straw into an infinite number of slices, have I created an infinite number of holes - from the one hole?

Holey cow!

 

[RestlessSoul]

Probably does fit this, but not so many other definitions of a hole. What happens when we flatten the straw - is the hole still there?

Encrypted in the form of the flattened straw, is the potential for a hole

 

[Quintessence]

I am genuinely baffled by the lack of agreement with responses to this question.

And the question.

I probably shouldn't be, given the artificed nature of language, but... just...

.... I mean, if nothing else this is a lot of consolation that if humans can't even agree on holes in straws the blazes if they're going to agree on the nature of the gods.

 

[Polymath257]

First answer: topologically, a straw is a sphere with two holes. Two disks need to be removed from a sphere to get the cylinder. So that would suggest n=2.

Alternatively, the boundary has 2 components, pointing to n=2.

Second answer: The straw is a cylinder and has a singly fundamental group, so n=1. A circle around the surface of the straw encloses the 'hole'. This is intrinsic to the straw.

Third answer: The complement of the straw has a singly generated fundamental group, so n=1. A loop through the straw demonstrates the 'hole'. This is extrinsic to the straw (depends on the embedding into space).

Of the four, the first and second are more appropriate for the theory of surfaces with boundaries. The third, like I said, is intrinsic, while the fourth is extrinsic.

 

[John53]

I am genuinely baffled by the lack of agreement with responses to this question.

And the question.

I probably shouldn't be, given the artificed nature of language, but... just...

.... I mean, if nothing else this is a lot of consolation that if humans can't even agree on holes in straws the blazes if they're going to agree on the nature of the gods.

The earth is doomed unless we defeat the 2 holers.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Intuitively a tube is composed of many very thin holes all together. If we are speaking about the abstract concept of a tube then it can be composed of an infinite number of holes. The question becomes how thin we allow the holes to be, and that determines the number of holes. By defining the hole's thinness to be equal to the tube's length we obtain a tube with only one hole.

Olé!

 

[John53]

A straw with a hole won't suck.

 

[crossfire]

A straw with a hole won't suck.

Well, neither will a straw without a hole.

 

[We Never Know]

How many holes are there in a straw? Explain your reasoning.

One hole, two openings

 

[LuisDantas]

One. A straw is topologically just a very narrow, very deep ring.

 

[Stevicus]

The earth is doomed unless we defeat the 2 holers.

We'll have to resort to Crazy Straw.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

One hole, two openings

I'm going with that answer too.

 

[Mock Turtle]

What happens if we have an infinitely large diameter straw with zero length?

 

[lewisnotmiller]

A whole straw has twice as many holes as half a straw. If I assume a half straw has 2 holes, a whole straw must have 4 holes.

Checkmate logic.

 

[RestlessSoul]

What happens if we have an infinitely large diameter straw with zero length?

We are observing an unboundaried 2 dimensional universe.

 

[Mock Turtle]

We are observing an unboundaried 2 dimensional universe.

So when does the hole disappear when we change from the straw shape to one envisaged?