[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference rusure::math

Title:Mathematics at DEC
Moderator:RUSURE::EDP
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2083
Total number of notes:14613

466.0. "What do you get when you divide by zero?" by KEEPER::KOSTAS (Kostas G. Gavrielidis <o.o> ) Sun Apr 06 1986 22:06

    Hello,    
                                                 
         here is a question that is often asked and often answered
    incorrectly.
    
         What do you get when you divide by zero?
    
    I want to get as many as opinions on this subject as I can.
    Please tell me what you think and maybe give some examples which you
    think are interesting.
    
    Regards,
    
    Kostas G.
    <><><><><>
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
466.1just against the law is all...ENGINE::ROTHMon Apr 07 1986 02:357
    Algebra is supposed to be a noise-free information processing system;
    however, dividing by zero sends any nonzero quantity to infinity, (at
    least over R and C) and this causes a loss of information.  This is why
    one should not 'be allowed' to divide by zero during algebraic manipulation.
    At any rate, its just not defined, whatever the field...

    - Jim
466.2CLT::GILBERTJuggler of NoterdomMon Apr 07 1986 05:404
%BAS-F-DIVBY_ZER, Division by 0
-BAS-I-USEPC_PSL, at user PC=001967E8, PSL=03C000A2
-SYSTEM-F-FLTDIV_F, arithmetic fault, floating divide by zero at PC=00197E8, PSL=03C000A2
-BAS-I-FROLINMOD, from line 10 in module NONAME
466.3mostly...METOO::YARBROUGHMon Apr 07 1986 12:332
    Disdain.
    
466.4It depends...ERIS::CALLASJon CallasTue Apr 08 1986 03:031
    on what you were looking for...
466.5And...KBOV05::J_WOLFFJulian WolffTue Apr 08 1986 04:0114
    Here what you get...
    
    		x = x
    	      x^2 = x^2
        x^2 - x^2 = x^2 - x^2
      x ( x - x ) = (x + x) (x - x)
    	        x = 2 x
    	        1 = 2
    
    So...
    
    	Julian.
    
    
466.6Here is what you get from CalrealKEEPER::KOSTASKostas G. Gavrielidis &lt;o.o&gt; Tue Apr 08 1986 13:4915
    re. .2
    
    here is one from calreal
    
    $calreal
    
    CALREAL> 1/0;
                ^
    %CALREAL-E-003:  ZERO DENOMINATOR IN DIVISION OPERATION 
    
    CALREAL> #
    $
    
    
466.7Perfectly simpleNANUCK::PETERSENSome assembly required.Tue Apr 08 1986 20:2629
    Actually, the proposition that one divided by zero equals
    infinity is easy to prove, using rotational mathematics:
    
    (Please accept "oo" as the traditional symbol for infinity.)

    We start with the well-known fact:
    
    			 1
    		       ----   =   0
    		        oo

    Now, we rotate ninety degrees to get:
    
    			-18   =   0
    
    Adding eight to both sides, we obtain:
    
    			-10   =   8
    
    And, reversing the previous rotation (to normalize the equation)
    we get the desired:
    
    		         1
    		       ----   =  oo
    			 0

    (Someone check my arithmetic, please.)
    
    					Theo
466.8The wrong answer ofter given for 1/O = oo.THEBUS::KOSTASKostas G. Gavrielidis &lt;o.o&gt; Mon Apr 14 1986 17:0825
    re. .7
    
    Well you given the wrong answer I was looking for.
    
    This is the kind of answer we find in some math books and is printed
    as:
    
           1
         -----  =  oo
           O
    
    but a careful reading we find that this is an abbreviation for
    something quite different from what it appears to be inticated.
    "In-finite" means "no limit", and the "O" in the dinominator is
    not a zero, like   2 - 2 = 0, but stands for a variable approaching
    zero as its limit. The smaller it gets, the larger (without limit)
    is its reciprocal. That is the meaning of 1/O = oo.
    
    Note:  The characters "oo" are used to inticate the symbol for
    infinity.
    
    Enjoy,
    
    Kostas G.
    
466.9The detour sign approach.THEBUS::KOSTASKostas G. Gavrielidis &lt;o.o&gt; Mon Apr 14 1986 17:1414
    Hello,
    
         On the original problem once again. The appearance of a zero
    as a divisor or denominator should be regarded as a detour sign.
    DO NOT FOLLOW THE USUAL ROUTE IN SUCH A CASE. This then requires
    the redefinition of division. I will therefore request some ideas
    as to how we define division that will take care the problem of
    a division by zero.
    
    I have a three step definition but I am interested to see other
    ideas.
    
    Kostas G.
    
466.10Cross-referenceLATOUR::JMARTINJoseph A. MartinThu May 01 1986 14:523
This discussion seems to have been taken up in RAINBW::MUSIC #144 under
the guise of piano tuning.
--Joe  :-)