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what happens if you divide by one?

Name: Anonymous 2006-05-18 13:16

do you get zero, or infinity?

Name: Anonymous 2006-05-18 13:57

None of this has anything to do with limits. The answer is also not infinity, so stop saying that people. Infinity is not a number.

Let me explain something about solutions to linear equations. There are three possible sizes for a set of solutions to an equation: Either no solutions, one solution, or infinitely many solutions. When there is exactly one solution, we say the relation is well-defined; when there are no solutions or infinitely many solutions, the relation is undefined.

Let me give you an example for each:

2*x=6  <- There is only one solution: x=3.
1*x=6  <- There are no solutions, because no matter what value for x you put, this equation will never be true.
1*x=1  <- There are infinitely many solutions, because any number for x makes this equation true.

The reason we say the first solution is well-defined is because we can just write it: x=3. x has exactly one possible value.

The reason we say the last two are undefined is because we can't just write x=something; there isn't one something. You have to express the answer in terms of sets. The solution set of x=1/1 is everything, or {x|xeR}, whereas the solution set of x/1 for x!=1 is the empty set.

Name: Anonymous 2006-05-18 15:54

inf/1 = 0.

true story.

Name: Anonymous 2006-05-18 17:15 (sage)

more like 1/inf = 0.

Name: Anonymous 2006-05-18 18:30

>>1
you get surprise buttseks

Name: Anonymous 2006-05-18 19:01

you have a jolly good time without creating blackholes

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