2 comes before 3, 3 comes before 4 and so on if that's how it goes what comes before infinite?
2006-08-05 18:27:51 · 12 answers · asked by reivaj107 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
try this
suppose ... you knew infinity (which is actually impossible since numbers go on and on) but if numbers are linear, then this implies a redundancy will eventually occur, thus
say
-infinity, ... ,-2, -1 ,0 ,1, 2, 3 ,... infinity
then, looking at it this way the only possible number that can come before - infinity is infinity itself :P
2006-08-05 18:39:13 · answer #1 · answered by dragongml 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Your "2 comes before 3..." means in mathematical terminology that 3 is the successor of 2. So your question rephrased actually asks "what number has the successor of infinity?"
It is now easy to see that no such number exists.
etotheipi: Perhaps you should have actually read the wikipedia article you cited before posting. (If a is finite, then a has a finite successor a+1>a.) Transfinite numbers are all infinite, but some are 'larger infinities.'
2006-08-06 03:07:56 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Infinity is something that never ends. So, logically, the answer is a number that has an end. For example is a line. A line is infinite. But a line is composed of points(which is finite). Therefore, before a line segment becomes a line(infinite), points must be added(finite). This is also same in numbers.
2006-08-05 18:56:59 · answer #3 · answered by blitz2.0 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Infinity-1
2006-08-05 18:32:10 · answer #4 · answered by Tony T 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Infinite comes before infinite.
There is an infinite amount of numbers, and every number has a number that comes before it. Therefore, there are an infinite amount of numbers that come before infinite.
It's probably not even a sensible question, since "infinite" isn't a numerical value, but i believe that's the answer.
2006-08-05 18:29:39 · answer #5 · answered by extton 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Infinite - 1
2006-08-05 21:52:15 · answer #6 · answered by saipin m 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Infinity is not a number. It is a quantity larger than all real finite numbers. Georg Cantor coined the term "transfinite number" to describe a finite number that is not infinite but is still larger than all other numbers.
Clicky:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfinite_number
2006-08-05 21:24:14 · answer #7 · answered by etotheipi 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Infinite isn't a value. It means 'unboundedly large'
Doug
2006-08-05 18:32:29 · answer #8 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"infinite" is not a number. You are trying to compare apples to oranges: 2,3.... are numbers. Infinity, means no end. Think about it: It means after each number there is another one comming...
2006-08-05 18:34:27 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Infinity minus one? lol
Infinity is a concept, not an actual number
2006-08-05 18:32:02 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋