i saw an equation in my dreams lastnight! opinions?

[Poeticus]

Unnecessary, but they were also mean and run contrary to the spirit of RF.

Out of all the other comments that could also qualify as mean and run contrary to the spirit (albeit, they are telling the utmost of truth), you address mine? Bravo, sir!

 

[ladybug77]

Standing at his starting point, how many steps did he take? What number of steps is standing represented by? This is relative to our example of motion and numbers quantifying motion.

-1. Thats his starting point. He took 5 steps...he is at 5.
-1 represents standing.
-1 is the potential.

1-1=-1

 

[Kilgore Trout]

The half falls in between all whole numbers.

Ok. If im at -1/2, and i recieve one whole. I have a whole. Its 1.

So, you're saying that -1/2 + 1 = 1?

So, what does -1 + 1 = ?

Are you saying that -1 = -1/2? Do you realize how asinine and useless that sounds?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

The half falls in between all whole numbers.

Right, so what sits half-way between -1 and 1?

 

[Quagmire]

Right, so what sits half-way between -1 and 1?

Indecision. :yes:

 

[Willamena]

-1. Thats his starting point. He took 5 steps...he is at 5.
-1 represents standing.
-1 is the potential.

Then what represents one step behind?

 

[ladybug77]

ladybug, zero is a placeholder. This, what Legion explained, is what use the placeholder serves.

1 is taking one step forward, and -1 is taking one step back. Neither is the starting point.

(Although it would be really cool to start a journey twenty steps behind yourself.)

Its because this is the wrong term. We are including motion. A movement isnt gaining or losing number. Its displacement of the object on a line in time and space.

Its the number of steps he is taking that matters...not the starting point. So in this senerio, it doesnt HURT to use the zero...but it makes no difference to throw it out either.

On exchange of objects...the zero cannot be there.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

If you have 50 boxes and each box contains zero pencils, how many pencils do you have in total?

Well you certainly don't have a number of pencils!

 

[Jainarayan]

-1. Thats his starting point. He took 5 steps...he is at 5.
-1 represents standing.
-1 is the potential.

1-1=-1

Uhhh... no.

It is indeed true he took 5 steps and stops at step 5, however, he started from no step. No step = 0 step(s).

 

[sandy whitelinger]

I once had a dream that a bag of popcorn was eating me while watching an Adam Sandler movie.

I once dreamed I was a muffler. I woke up exhausted.

 

[Poeticus]

but it makes no difference to throw it out either.

And literally pervert the natural number line in the process? No thank you. The zero stays. Definitively.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I once dreamed I was a muffler. I woke up exhausted.

Thread won.

 

[Jainarayan]

I once dreamed I was a muffler. I woke up exhausted.

[accompanied by a major groan]

 

[sandy whitelinger]

I have an absense of the pencil. But i still have 50 boxes. Zero is still not a number. Its a representation of 1 being momentarily absent.

You also do not have 500 pencils so is -500 not a number as well?

 

[ladybug77]

Then what represents one step behind?

One step behind is one step behind. So its -2 on the line.
Because -2 +1=-1
-2+2=1

 

[Jainarayan]

Thread won.

Truly. What more can be said!?

 

[ladybug77]

And literally pervert the natural number line in the process? No thank you. The zero stays. Definitively.

Zero isnt a natural number

 

[sandy whitelinger]

This is knowledge!! We cant even begin to grasp the concept of good things...without the bad things to take thier place! We learn what is right, by doing things wrong! We only understand the absense of something...if it was there to begin with.

Its correct. 1 is the only number. All others are representions of more ones. Negative numbers are representations of the absense of ones.

Its 100% correct.

Don't confuse philosopy with math.

 

[ladybug77]

You also do not have 500 pencils so is -500 not a number as well?

If i had 500 pencils, and i gave them all away. I have -500 pencils. But -500 hundred, is just -1 repeated 500 times.

 

[Poeticus]

I hate math...and im pretty bad at it

....