Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: March 11, 2025, 5:47 am
Atheist Forums › Science › Mathematics v
If 0.999(etc) = 1, does 1 - 0.999 go to zero?

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Thread Modes
If 0.999(etc) = 1, does 1 - 0.999 go to zero?
Tiberius Offline
Question Everything.
*******
Religious Views: Atheist
Posts: 14932
Threads: 684
Joined: August 25, 2008
Reputation: 142
#15
RE: If 0.999(etc) = 1, does 1 - 0.999 go to zero?
February 21, 2013 at 7:12 am (This post was last modified: February 21, 2013 at 7:13 am by Tiberius.)
(February 21, 2013 at 6:50 am)Waratah Wrote: Is 0.999...(infinity)1 a number?
if not why?
If you're dealing with infinitesimals, then you can get numbers between 0.999... and 1. However, in standard arithmetic / calculus, they don't exist. You only really get them when dealing with hyperreals or surreals.

It should be obvious why 0.999...1 isn't a number. The "..." signifies that the last set of numbers repeats to infinity. So the last 9 is repeating.

What 0.999...1 therefore says is that you have an infinite string of 9's after the decimal point...and then a 1.

Well, that just doesn't make any sense. You can't have an infinite string of 9's followed by anything. If something is infinitely long, it doesn't have an end. There is nowhere to place your 1, because doing so would end the number...making it finite.

Your calculation doesn't make sense in this respect either.
Find
Reply


Atheist Forums › Science › Mathematics v
If 0.999(etc) = 1, does 1 - 0.999 go to zero?

Messages In This Thread
If 0.999(etc) = 1, does 1 - 0.999 go to zero? - by Euler - January 26, 2013 at 7:59 pm
RE: If 0.999(etc) = 1, does 1 - 0.999 go to zero? - by Tiberius - February 21, 2013 at 7:12 am

Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Is zero a natural number? Jehanne 81 11533 July 16, 2023 at 7:29 am
Last Post: Angrboda
  Question for finitists -- 0.999... = 1? Jehanne 23 5059 November 26, 2022 at 8:40 pm
Last Post: Jehanne
Question Dividing by zero Tea Earl Grey Hot 77 25315 January 18, 2015 at 12:31 am
Last Post: GrandizerII
  Maths proves 1=0.999.. thus ends in self contradiction shakuntala 11 6788 December 21, 2014 at 3:57 pm
Last Post: Thumpalumpacus
  What is Zero (0)? ManMachine 22 8637 February 9, 2014 at 11:11 am
Last Post: truthBtold
  [split] 0.999... equals 1 Rhizomorph13 330 119284 February 20, 2013 at 6:47 am
Last Post: Categories+Sheaves
  Why is infinity afraid of zero? Rayaan 38 19308 June 28, 2012 at 12:50 pm
Last Post: Opsnyder
  If 0.999 (etc.) = 1, does 1 - 0.999 = 0? Child of Stardust 16 12061 March 6, 2012 at 2:12 pm
Last Post: Child of Stardust
  The probability of the accuracy of probability itself? Etc. Edwardo Piet 15 7270 February 9, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Last Post: chatpilot



Users browsing this thread: 2 Guest(s)