Are infinity and zero the same thing?

Question

I've thought for a while that infinity and zero could be the one thing. I dont have room to properly explain why I think that, but I'd like maths dudes and dudettes out there to let me know if my hunch is supported by some theory, what it is, and where I can find out more about it. Thanks!

Answer 1

There are two jokers that bedevil physics -- zero and infinity. They represent powerful adversaries at either end of the realm of numbers that we use in modern science. Yet, zero and infinity are two sides of the same coin -- equal and opposite, yin and yang. "Multiply zero by anything and you get zero. Multiply infinity by anything and you get infinity. Dividing a number by zero yields infinity; dividing a number by infinity yields zero. Adding zero to a number leaves the number unchanged. Adding a number to infinity leaves infinity unchanged." Yet, the biggest questions in science, philosophy, and religion are about nothingness and eternity, the void and the infinite, zero and infinity.

The above is from the website quoted in source below.

Answer 2

Yes, because they are both undefinable.

If zero was definable it would be something
If infinity was definable it would be finite.

There is no such thing as an actual zero and no such thing as an actual infinity, so they are the same no such things. Both undefinable.

If you shrink a volume smaller and smaller it still has a numerical volume and spatial position no matter how small it gets. However, a zero volume has neither, where is it? what is it? It is not even an idea or concept. Simply undefinable, a mental error.

The great philosopher Wittgenstein wrote that there is "no such thing as all numbers" and denied Cantor's cardinality of infinites. Rules that generate "infinite" sequences are just rules, but no actual infinity can be reached as many mathematicians think. The concept of infinity is not even a concept since nobody can actually say what infinity is.

Answer 3

Infinity and zero are not the same thing. On a number scale, it starts with negative infinity, then has all the negative numbers through 0, then all the positive numbers back to positive infinity. In calculus, there is a way that infinity can equal zero.
1/(infinity) is approximately zero. If you think about it, the number gets smaller as the denominator gets bigger, so as it approaches infinity (it's biggest), we say it equals zero. 1/0 is undefined, as is anything over zero, but 0/(anything) is zero. Just some rules to know.

Answer 4

No 0 and infinity are different.
Here is a proof:

Suppose
0 = infinity
Add 1 to both sides:
1 = infinity + 1
But infinity + 1 = infinity

So if 0 = infinity, then you will also have
1 = infinity
The same reasoning will lead you to
2 = infinity
3 = infinity

In other words, everything becomes infinite
and there will no finite numbers left.

So better, be happy with 0 and infinity being different.

Answer 5

Hmmm... well if you divide something by zero, that's kind of like infinity.

27 / 3 = 9 (it takes nine 3's to make 27)

27 / 0 = Infinity? (You can add an infinite amout of zeros and... well I guess that still would not be 27.)

I have a headache now, I'm gonna go to bed.

Answer 6

No. I am assuming you are talking in the Mathematical form, zero before any number signifies that the number's worth is next to nothing, while infinity means that after counting to an extream magnitude going on means you can count untill it becomes infinite, or keep counting -infinity

Answer 7

Infinity having no substance, and zero being the same. It's a verbal pronounciation. I would think if used in a mathmatical term and/or a science term, the two could be granted the evaluation of being a substance-therefor changed by matter of description. Which I think basically all it is.

Answer 8

That's an interesting question, but I've always thought of zero as nothing and infinity as everything.

Answer 9

ofcourse they're not. as numerous people have said, zero is limited whereas infinity is not.

there are some other cool fact that i learnt at uni such that infinity is infinitely big and therefore there can exist an infinity A that can be bigger than infinity B.

also that 1 = 0.999999999..........recuring.


if anyone wants to know, email me at [e-mail].

i love discussing stuff like this

Answer 10

zero and infinty are NOT the same thing but they can be no closer numbers. 1/inifinty is as close to zero as you'll ever get. But no matter how big you make infinity (or how small you make 1/inifinity) there will always be another number that will make 1/infinity closer to zero.