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HOW TO DIVIDE BY ZERO?!

Name: Anonymous 2007-10-30 0:59

I RLY WANNA KNOW

Name: Anonymous 2007-11-02 5:11

Hmm.Take 5/0.

Let's call the answer c, plus r remainder.



a/b = c + r, abcr : {integers}

a = b*(c+r)

5 = 0*(c+r)

Now, this is a total contradiction. Even if (c+r) is INFINITELY BIG, 0*(c+r) will NEVER equal 5. You can't add 0 to itself infinite times. However 0.000000000(lots of zeroes)000001*(something else) will eventually become 5 if (something else) is big enough.

What about -5/0?

Now, -5/0 = 5/-0 = 5/0.

5 = 0*(c+r). c+r is approaching NEGATIVE infinity as b is approaching zero. (think y=5/x). 0 * negative large number = 5 ? Even more ridiculous.

Hope this sheds some light. Just think about it algebraically and it all makes sense (or in this case... very clearly doesn't make sense, which is what I wanted). Proof by contradiction - we started out assuming (c+r) was an integer, but no such integer solves 5 = 0*(c+r), therefore assumption is false, which is what we were trying to prove.

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