Saturday, January 11, 2014

Counter Intuitive




h/t: wd

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

All this stuff makes me a little negative.

OMMAG said...

Most nonsense is amazing ...

Lumberbrudi said...

1-1+1-1+1-1+1... isn't 1/2.

In the real number system, a sequence or series isn't said to be equivalent to a real number unless it converges to that real number as a limit. Converging is rigorously defined, based on the ability to choose and arbitrarily small number (usually represented as "epsilon") and prove the sequence or series comes within epsilon of that limit. 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, ... doesn't converge. It never comes within 1/3rd of 1/2.

Taking the average to shoe-horn a non-convergent sequence into a real number has no foundation in number theory. But we can't challenge the assertion that that's a good thing to do, because it's a video, a one-way communication, not a dialog. Proofs have to stand up to challenges.

This is not number theory. It's numerology, finding patterns in numbers and thinking to have discovered something profound. Numerology drove John Forbes Nash to thinking the universe was talking to him and actually hearing voices. Of course, this guy isn't within 50 IQ points of Nash, but he's fascinated by patterns in numbers, so he's walking down the same seductive path.

Turn back, friend! Turn back!

Lumberbrudi said...

Oops, "... an arbitrarily small", sorry.

Anonymous said...

"1-1+1-1+1-1+1... isn't 1/2."

Exactly.
All based on a faulty premise.

OregonGuy said...

All I know about infinity is that it's too large, by half.

Or, something like that.

(I live in a double-infinity world.)
.

lumberjack said...

Yeah, infinity is at least 7 or 8 more than I'll abide.

In fact, I don't even enjoy approaching infinity anymore.

Wry Mouth said...

I count pudding with my toes

Wry Mouth said...

when I finish my theorem I will send you a copy. Lumberbrudi might like it.

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