I pondered to myself this question(I believe I made this one up!)
Why do we say numbers are indefinite when the sequince is only 0-9 you can't find any other number that are differant than 0123456789 so if these numbers are constantly being used wouldn't the ending to our so called indefinite numbers system be 0123456789 ??? since everything else out here after this is symbols?so they are not really indefinte when you really think about it huh! My theory is the only thing indefinite is one mirror facing another a reflection is then calculated as indefinite am I not right heyyy!! no stealing my ideas just answer the best way you can for me ha! ha! ha! logically if there is such an answer!!
2007-03-30 12:56:47 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
typing mistake on infinite but you get the picture once again I'll simplify while you can make series of numbers or symbol that go on and on and on how could they without using the same characters repeatedly?
2007-03-30 13:20:39 · update #1
I also would like to know are atoms infinite and how would we mathematically represent them if so?
2007-03-30 13:31:40 · update #2
I totally fail to follow your logic, assuming that there is one in there in the first place.
2007-03-30 13:04:36 · answer #1 · answered by Vincent G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The numbers are _infinite_ because you can always find a larger number than any one number you might have in mind. No matter what the number x, x + 1 is bigger and the same is true of finding infinitely small numbers. No matter the number x, x -1 is smaller. The digits are only the building blocks we use to represent concrete values of various sizes. If you have 4 sets of 10 and 3 singles, then you write 43. But the 4 in 43 is not the same value as the 4 in 14. These are just ways of representing an abstract idea. It's important not to confuse the notation with the concept. Digits are not always what they appear on the outside. They are just the skin of a number, which has multiple layers.
Note that indefinite is not the same as infinite and the numbers are not generally considered indefinite unless you are thinking of the result of dividing zero by zero.
2007-03-30 20:10:32 · answer #2 · answered by Number Power 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
True. People say numbers are indefinate, but if this is the case then so are letters of the alphabet A-Z. What they mean is, is that there is an endless combination of numbers. And really anything can be endless when you do not state its boundaries. If I say how many two digit numbers there are then you calculate 10 to 99 (more than likely). When infinite is used they mean infinite digits of a single number thus stating that numbers are infinite.
I think that makes sense.
2007-03-30 20:09:38 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you really mean "infinite" instead of "indefinite"?
Numbers are infinite, it is just our representation of those numbers that use 0-9 (or 0-7 for octal or 0-f for hexadecimal).
Try to think of the largest number that you can. If you can add one to it then you haven't reached the end.
2007-03-30 20:07:34 · answer #4 · answered by tipp10 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are limiting your thinking to the decimal system. The binary system has only two digits ( 0 and 1) while on the other hand the hexadecimal system has 16 digits (0123456789ABCDEF). We could have a number system with any base and any number of digits.
So your reasoming is faulty.
2007-03-30 20:08:55 · answer #5 · answered by ironduke8159 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
So you think that:
all numbers are the same?
Every number is a combanation of those 10 numbers?
BUT
Every number is unique in the way that there is no other number like it. Find two numbers that are the same, its impossible, isnt it?
2007-03-30 20:09:35 · answer #6 · answered by funkybob77 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋