Can anyone in laymans terms explain how infinity can exist?

Answer 1

it's more of a concept than an actual thing or number.

Answer 2

Good answer Max P! I'd probably add onto his explanation and say that in the same way you can keep adding on 9's to 1.9999 but never reach 2, as he explained, the same holds with adding numbers. What number is bigger than 10000? 100000 is bigger. What's the biggest number? No matter what number I pick, you can always pick a bigger number.

When you're putting 9's on the end of 1.9999, you'll never quite reach 2. So in this case, 2 is called a "limit" in math terms. Just the same, when you're adding numbers you can always pick a bigger number and you'll never make it to the limit of infinity. You'll never get there, no matter how close you think you're getting.

Mathematicians don't consider infinity a number; instead, they consider it a "limit" in the sense that you can always get closer and closer but you'll never get there.

2 is definitely a number, but it can also serve as a limit in the case of 1.9, 1.99, 1.999, 1.9999, and so on. The limit is 2. But infinity is not a number, it only serves as a limit.

I can't speak for physicists since I'm not one, but I suspect they don't use infininty much in their work.

Answer 3

In the first grade we al learnt

2 - 1 = 1

In third grade we learnt the decimal system

we know from our knowledge of third grade that after 1 there are decimal numbers between 1 and 2

like 1.3 , 1.67 , 1.5684 , 1.3298675 etc. OK? Understood till this?
If not then do not read further.

Now can you tell me the greatest number that lies in between 1 and 2 ?

Tom said "the greatest number between 1 and 2 is 1.9 , because after that 2 lies",

Dick said " NO , the greatest number between 1 and 2 is 1.99 , because after that 2 lies",

Harry said " you are wrong guys, the greatest number between 1 and 2 is 1.999 , because after that 2 lies",

then rose Lina and said "men are always dumb headed, the greatest number between 1 and 2 is 1.9999 , because after that 2 lies",


Now can you tell me how finely can we divide the difference between 1 and 2 ?

1.999999999999999999.......upto what?

So we see that if we want to cross the gulf between 1 and 2 then it will take us life after life but we cannot reach 2 ever.

but we write 2 - 1 =1

and we have no difficulty at all in our practical life with this.

then how this is possible?

So we say after putting INFINITE 9s after 1. we reach 2 and effectively we do reach 2 otherwise we would be having problem with the math (2 - 1 = 1)

that is how you can conceptualise infinity.

Answer 4

The number of real integers is limitless. No matter how many you can count, there are always more. The number of irrational number numbers is also infinite. But it has been proved that the number of irrational numbers is greater than the number of integers! Here we have one infinity bigger than another. There is more to infinty than just an abstract concept. The concept of trans-finite numbers was developed by Georg Cantor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfinite_numbers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_cantor
(Edited to correct the second link.)

Answer 5

you have about as good a grasp of real-world infinity as anybody

as a mathmatical concept related to things that do not exist physically, people who have studied a lot of math have a better understanding of it

the fact that it probably has no expression in reality does not have much to do with math, you can't even draw a line that is pi inches long

Answer 6

Infinity can not exist. It is only an idea. Everything has a limit.

Answer 7

The same way zero can exist?

Answer 8

numbers are infinate therefore there is such a thing as infinity.

Answer 9

Jesus said,"Whosoever believeth in me shall have everlasting life"

No end.

Answer 10

Cause it can.