infinity

[falcompsx]

ok, so what the heck is the square root of infinity? My best guess so far is zero...or maybe -0?

[qball]

Sheesh, trust me on this one as my degree is in physics.

For arguments sake let's try;

start squared
0 0
-1 1

Looks like they are both out, so let's try some more;
start squared
infinity infinity

The definition of square root is the value multiplied by itself ends up with what you started. Therefore if infinity squared is infinity, then the square root of infinity must be infinity.

Another of lifes myriad of mysteries explained.

[falcompsx]

what if -0 is infinity? or infinity is -0? 0 is an infinately small number, so COULD be called infinity as well. so your theory is flawed!! well not really, but it isn't the only answer

[tonym]

You can be infinitely small...the square root of something ridicuously small is something almost as ridiculously small: like the quare root of 10^-99 is around 10^-49...still quite small. So the square root of a very small number (approaching 1/infinity) is still 1/infinity.

Zero by definition is the empty set. Not infinity, it the lack thereof. Now as you asymptotically approach zero with very small numbers (like 1/infinity), you have an infinite way to go until you exhaust all the available numbers and have zero left.
Zero is very easy to quantize as it is a singularity of nothingness...null...void. Consider absolute emptyness...nothing there as a frame of reference. How does one know that this void is infinite?? You could go for 1 mile in any direction or 5,000,000,000,000 miles in any direction and still be unable to detect an infinity! Because there's no frame of reference. But by definition it is infinity...there is no discrenable beginning or end!

So is zero infinite...that depends upon the situation that you use to define "zero"!!!

Quite a paradox, eh??


Tony

[falcompsx]

Zero can't be a number, it's a concept. therfore our math is screwed up as we know it

[U-96]

...and how do you ascertain if something is infinite? To do that you must have a starting point from where you discover something is infinite. But if it does have a starting point, then surely for someone at infinity, where you are is the end, thus no infinity.

I have a nosebleed.

U-96

[krusty the klown]

There are no straight lines in nature.

What is infinity?

What is a straight line?

... A circle with infinite radius.

Perhaps I'll figure out what I'm talking about¿

[falcompsx]

there IS a perfectly straight line in nature, a ray of light. Assuming of course that it is un effected by anything to bend or reflect it, a light ray is perfectly straight.

[Evil Knievel]

Maybe, but to be able to say that light travels in a perfectly straight line, you're assuming that light must be a particle.

[ScaryBinary]

Light always travels in a straight line. It's the space-time its travelling in that makes it (appear to) bend....!

[Evil Knievel]

Whoa there nelly. Don't get all worked up. I was just refering to the "ray" part of the last message.

[ScaryBinary]

I prefer "Nell," thank you very much.

I was just throwing in my very limited and usually wrong 2 cents concerning the general operation of the universe. Having been here 25 years I feel I have a pretty good grasp on it. (I don't think any other single statement in the history of mankind has been further from the truth than that one. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/icons/icon10.gif )

I actually read that light is a vibration in the 5th dimension. Now that's wacky. I didn't even know we had five dimensions. I have enough trouble with 4.

But as far as infinity goes, I'd have to agree with qball. The big question is, is the universe infinite? Or is some light beam screaming along at (duh) the speed of light going to run into a big brick wall somewhere?

ScaryBinary