You seem to have a problem with spelling. It's asymptote.

You seem to have a problem with definitions. Division is not the same thing. In fact the limit as you approach 1/x as x goes to zero is undefined. If you approach it from the positive side the asmptote goes to positive infinity and as you approach it from the negative side it goes to negative infinity, which is showing you that it is indeterminate.

:)

yes

Art imitating life... Art inspiring discovery.

What you are describing is a limit. It is not division.

That was very enlightening. Thanks for the post.

Correct, so infinity is a concept.

That isn't what I was saying... I am saying that you are arguing that divide by zero could yield any number as the answer, but if you plot the graph we discussed the closer you get to zero, the answer asymptotically approaches infinity. I also believe that your argument of symmetry between multiplication and division is flawed.

OK, I've spent enough time on this thread today. I'm done.

Nope, a limit is not like division. Your point would undermine all of mathematics

I personally think you splitting hairs on the difference, but that's just me...

you can approach 0 to infinity, you never actually can get there.

You are confusing limits with division. Here is the definition of inverse operations in math. http://education-portal.com/academy/less...

See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_by... which explains the differences between limits and dividing by zero

I don't think the analogy of multiplication to division holds up here when you have such glaring exception that works in multiplication but not division. If you graph out a number divided by the value on the x-axis - much to your lim x-->0 statement, the only conclusion you can reach is that the answer is infinity. We have to agree to disagree it seems.

<edit> I forgot to address your "test". :) The problem occurs between the third and fourth step where he (effectively) divides by "b" to factor that out of the right hand term. If b=0, things fall apart.

But here's what we all CAN agree on: http://drfronkenstein.files.wordpress.co...

That is not correct. What you are thinking about is the limit as x goes to zero for 10/x (for example).

Division is the inverse of multiplication. Thus 2x5 = 10 and there for 10/5 = 2. Now do this with zero 2x0 = 0 but so does 10x0 =0 in fact for any number Z Zx0 = 0 so there is not answer for Z/0 it can be any number.

There is a very interesting riddle on point that "proves" 2 is equal to 1. http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view... Find the mistake.

Really. I was taught that it is not indeterminate - it is infinity, which is a concept and not a number.

Really. What you get in math is indeterminate - it can be anything you want it to be, sounds like a fairy tale.

That is cool.

I thought it was cool too! movies spurring science and rational thinking. I think that's why sci-fi is such a draw for many people.
We all speculate as to how John Galt's motor really works.

well db is leaning towards fairy concept.

You CAN divide by zero, but you get a concept rather than a number. :)

Cool article!