If they made up a number that was sqr. rt. of -1 (i), which you supposedly can't do, why not make up a number that's 1/0, which you can't do either. Is it because imaginary numbers are actually useful in physics?
2006-10-26 13:26:22 · 8 answers · asked by devmorg1 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
Thanks. Yes I know that imaginary numbers aren't really imaginary. And I do know 1/0 is undefined. However, math does rely on definition, so theoretically it would be possible to define any made-up term as being equal to 1/0? Don't stop with your answers to the original question...they're really interesting.
2006-10-26 13:45:38 · update #1
The square root of -1 is not a "made up" number .... it is a "complex" number.
It does a great disservice to young (high school and younger) students such as yourself to call i "imaginary" ... I'm sure that's where you are getting your misinformation that it's made up.
You will have to trust me that i is just as valid a number as 1. Complex numbers are used in aeronautics, rocketry, and other types of endeavors and are key!
1/0 is undefined ... neither you nor anyone else can assign any value to it!
I hope this was somewhat of a help to you and your question.
2006-10-26 13:30:55 · answer #1 · answered by I ♥ AUG 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Imaginary numbers are not just useful, they are essential so that all algebraic equations have solutions. It's called the 'Fundamental Therorem of Algebra.
x^2+1 = 0 needs to have a solution.
Division is really mulfiplication by an inverse. A number times its inverse must equal one. So, what's the inverse of 0? What unique number do you propose to multiply 0 by to get 1? There ain't any such number, so 0 does not have a multplicative inverse.
2006-10-26 20:38:45 · answer #2 · answered by modulo_function 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Here's the main thing to remember about numbers they can not lie, they are one of the only Constance out there. example we all know 1+1=2 this is a fact, so if a number has been made up there has to be a scientific base's for it, this is the first i have herd of this. I could see this being used in theoretical Physics only because well It's just a theory. It can not be used practically thou. Hope that helps. Good luck.
2006-10-26 20:42:20 · answer #3 · answered by matt v 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
This is two questions:
1. the sqrt of -1 is i or the imaginary number. This wasn't 'made up', but instead discovered to be needed to explain many mathematical quantities observed in nature. For instance to explain a decaying waveform the expression sin x +/- icos y is required. the imaginary part isn't something we made up, but something that explains a portion of the behavior we observe.
2. there is a number for 1/0, this is infinity. THis is an important quantity in determining limits of equations.
2006-10-26 20:31:34 · answer #4 · answered by Josh550 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you CAN make up a number to equal 1/0 if you are willing to make up a system of mathematics that will be consistent with your number.
2006-10-26 20:43:39 · answer #5 · answered by fcas80 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good ol' mathematics.
Mathematicians not only make up symbols to represent numbers that don't exist, they also make up terms for conceptions that don't exist - such as points with no dimensions, one dimensional lines, two dimensional planes and so forth.
So in all fairness to you, if you want to make up a number for 1/0 - go ahead.
I've often wondered why this "divide by zero" concept was taboo - all of the other concepts that don't exist are apparently fair game.
2006-10-26 20:41:01 · answer #6 · answered by LeAnne 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not true.
If you apply L'Hopitals Rule to a function that gives the answer 1/0, then the answer can be what you call a "number"
2006-10-26 20:32:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
becuase the answer of 1l0 is infinity ..havent u ever heard of that
2006-10-26 20:37:10 · answer #8 · answered by neveen 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋