And are negative numbers still classed as "numbers"
2007-05-17 05:20:17 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
Yes, and there are infinitely many of them.
However, it depends on what you mean by "to get" negative infinity. You can not, for example, count backwards by subtraction and ever reach negative infinity because it would always be infinitely far away from the number you just named. In fact, it would be just as far away from the new number as it was when you started.
Tom
2007-05-17 05:22:56 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
These are matters of definition. Infinity is a nebulous concept and isn't always an entity. When used to describe very large, "uncountable", negative values, negative infinity is a valuable concept, and some functions have different values as they go to positive and negative infinity. In some systems, positive and negative infinity are the same thing. There are no easy answers. You have to look at the number system you are in. For the number line or the Cartesian plane, there is a negative infinity, but you can't really "get there".
You have to look closely at your definitions. You can't have -1 apples, but you can owe someone an apple. Great mathematicians have struggle over the concept, so it is a valid question which I cannot answer in sufficient detail. You have to think about what you express when you use a negative number.
These are deceptively hard questions, and I wish I had easy answers for you. Keep thinking.
2007-05-17 12:34:38 · answer #2 · answered by novangelis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am not a mathematician. Negative numbers are also numbers and have the same property as positive numbers. The real line extends from minus infinity to plus infinity. Infinity is not a number.
2007-05-17 12:28:15 · answer #3 · answered by cidyah 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A population inversion has a negative absolute temperature - lasing media, NMR, EPR, MRI, optical hole burning, adiabatic demagnetization of paramagnetic salts, etc. As absolute zero cannot be attained in a finite number of steps (Third Law of Thermodynamics), this is achieved by going the long way around. Therefore,
1) Start with large population at thermal equlibrium (e.g, spin direction of hydrogen nuclei in water in the Earth's magnetic field - an ocean will do nicely)
2) Flip one extra spin by adding radio energy at the transition resonance frequency (1703.05 Hz at 0.4 gauss) ,
3) The resulting population inversion is asymptotic to minus infinity degrees kelvin until the non-equilibrium state decays.
2007-05-17 12:37:53 · answer #4 · answered by Uncle Al 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, negative infinity exists, however infinity is not a number, it is a concept. Negative numbers are real numbers.
2007-05-17 12:23:43 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
yes. On the scale of numbers. you can start from 0 to left to -1,-2 till - infinity. for positive is to the right from 0-infinity.
2007-05-17 12:28:36 · answer #6 · answered by I'M GONNA GO PLACES 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What do you mean by "get"?
Negative numbers are half of the real numbers, everything less than 0. Negative counting numbers, plus 0, plus the counting numbers, make up the set of integers. Ratios of integers make up the rational numbers. And so on.
2007-05-17 12:24:29 · answer #7 · answered by Philo 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's the same as the concept of a negative and a positive zero... they are not realistic but the concept exists...
2007-05-17 12:33:09 · answer #8 · answered by Alex G 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sure is and yes they are.
Check out DrMath if you really want to see how crazy math and numbers can be....
2007-05-17 12:36:18 · answer #9 · answered by Captain Algae 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Physically you cant surpass vanishing point but minus
2007-05-17 12:23:44 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋