Re: Idle Thoughts

Here's my scoring of the bout:

Rudy and Nick are correct in their thinking that you cannot compare an exact
number (e.g. 4) to an infinite number. Their logic is that you cannot
compare apples to oranges. They are two different beasts (the #s, I mean,
not Rudy and Nick <g>).

The rest of the b.p.d.n-t community is also correct because they accept the
argument that infinity is a 'finite' number (a number that can be stated
exactly). What's funny is that, at the level we are talking mathematically,
it all comes down to a philosophical viewpoint. We use the words "by
definition", "assuming", "convention", etc. to make sense of a nonsensical
subject. The part that Rudy and Nick are missing out on is the meeting that
the mathematical world had in which it was decided that infinity could be
compared to an integer. :-)

I understand the Rudy and Nick argument is easier to explain, but that "by
convention" : 3.99999.... = 4

~J. Lee


>> there's no rational delta between 3.999... and 4.
> Hey, don't screw things up. I was just starting to get the hang of
> being /rational/ about things. ;-)


.

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