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  3. Is mathematical possibility of 0 equal to impossible??

Is mathematical possibility of 0 equal to impossible??

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  • E ensger

    I've got an intersting question - see above. If you think, you have the answer, answer this. I am part of a lottery with infinite numbers. So the possibility is 1 / infinity = 0. But is it imposiblo to have the right nuber??? So, what means possibility of 0??

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    Red Stateler
    wrote on last edited by
    #4

    1 / infinity != 0 It's: the limit of n as n approaches infinity 1/n = 0. In other words, zero is never reached but effectively becomes zero.


    "I make up quotes." -Vincent Reynolds

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    • R Red Stateler

      1 / infinity != 0 It's: the limit of n as n approaches infinity 1/n = 0. In other words, zero is never reached but effectively becomes zero.


      "I make up quotes." -Vincent Reynolds

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      Chris Maunder
      wrote on last edited by
      #5

      Nicely put

      cheers, Chris Maunder

      CodeProject.com : C++ MVP

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      • R Red Stateler

        1 / infinity != 0 It's: the limit of n as n approaches infinity 1/n = 0. In other words, zero is never reached but effectively becomes zero.


        "I make up quotes." -Vincent Reynolds

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        ensger
        wrote on last edited by
        #6

        The posibility is 0 - of couse. But is it impoosible?? If you choose the digits from right to left an I say 126 - is this imposimple, that there are always 0's so on?

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        • E ensger

          The posibility is 0 - of couse. But is it impoosible?? If you choose the digits from right to left an I say 126 - is this imposimple, that there are always 0's so on?

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          Red Stateler
          wrote on last edited by
          #7

          The possibility isn't zero. It's infinitesimal.


          "I make up quotes." -Vincent Reynolds

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          • R Red Stateler

            The possibility isn't zero. It's infinitesimal.


            "I make up quotes." -Vincent Reynolds

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            ensger
            wrote on last edited by
            #8

            9 with a period of 9 == 10. That's no question. The difernce to 10is 0 period of 0. So n / infinity = 0. The differnce is 0.00000 nd so on.

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            • E ensger

              9 with a period of 9 == 10. That's no question. The difernce to 10is 0 period of 0. So n / infinity = 0. The differnce is 0.00000 nd so on.

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              Dave Kreskowiak
              wrote on last edited by
              #9

              I think what you're trying to say is that as n approaches Infinity, 1/n approaches 0. The answer can never be 0, but can be infinitely small.

              Dave Kreskowiak Microsoft MVP - Visual Basic

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              • E ensger

                9 with a period of 9 == 10. That's no question. The difernce to 10is 0 period of 0. So n / infinity = 0. The differnce is 0.00000 nd so on.

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                Red Stateler
                wrote on last edited by
                #10

                Infinity is a concept and not a number, so simple math doesn't apply as above. Limits are the basis of calculus, so I suggest reading up on that to understand the concept better.


                "I make up quotes." -Vincent Reynolds

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                • D Dave Kreskowiak

                  I think what you're trying to say is that as n approaches Infinity, 1/n approaches 0. The answer can never be 0, but can be infinitely small.

                  Dave Kreskowiak Microsoft MVP - Visual Basic

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                  ensger
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #11

                  That is rifht. but the mathematics of posibility says, it is 0. That's the question.

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                  • E ensger

                    I've got an intersting question - see above. If you think, you have the answer, answer this. I am part of a lottery with infinite numbers. So the possibility is 1 / infinity = 0. But is it imposiblo to have the right nuber??? So, what means possibility of 0??

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                    Vikram A Punathambekar
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #12

                    But your analogy looks flawed to me. For instance, how would you select the 'winning number' when the tickets are infinite? A more accurate analogy would be something like this: You have 3 white socks and 4 black socks in a closet. What is the probability that a sock drawn at random is blue? The answer is 0, which means the event cannot occur (i.e., impossible). PS: I hate to say this, but I agree with espeir. ;P 1 / ∞ is infinitesimal, not 0.

                    Cheers, Vikram.


                    "whoever I am, I'm not other people" - Corinna John.

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                    • V Vikram A Punathambekar

                      But your analogy looks flawed to me. For instance, how would you select the 'winning number' when the tickets are infinite? A more accurate analogy would be something like this: You have 3 white socks and 4 black socks in a closet. What is the probability that a sock drawn at random is blue? The answer is 0, which means the event cannot occur (i.e., impossible). PS: I hate to say this, but I agree with espeir. ;P 1 / ∞ is infinitesimal, not 0.

                      Cheers, Vikram.


                      "whoever I am, I'm not other people" - Corinna John.

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                      ensger
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #13

                      It is 0!! But 0 is not impossible. (Exception, your example;))

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                      • V Vikram A Punathambekar

                        But your analogy looks flawed to me. For instance, how would you select the 'winning number' when the tickets are infinite? A more accurate analogy would be something like this: You have 3 white socks and 4 black socks in a closet. What is the probability that a sock drawn at random is blue? The answer is 0, which means the event cannot occur (i.e., impossible). PS: I hate to say this, but I agree with espeir. ;P 1 / ∞ is infinitesimal, not 0.

                        Cheers, Vikram.


                        "whoever I am, I'm not other people" - Corinna John.

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                        Red Stateler
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #14

                        Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:

                        You have 3 white socks and 4 black socks in a closet. What is the probability that a sock drawn at random is blue? The answer is 0, which means the event cannot occur (i.e., impossible).

                        What if you're in a room with blue lighting? Then your odds would be 42.8%! ;P


                        "I make up quotes." -Vincent Reynolds

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                        • E ensger

                          That is rifht. but the mathematics of posibility says, it is 0. That's the question.

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                          Red Stateler
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #15

                          No, probability says the odds are infinitesimal.


                          "I make up quotes." -Vincent Reynolds

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                          • V Vikram A Punathambekar

                            But your analogy looks flawed to me. For instance, how would you select the 'winning number' when the tickets are infinite? A more accurate analogy would be something like this: You have 3 white socks and 4 black socks in a closet. What is the probability that a sock drawn at random is blue? The answer is 0, which means the event cannot occur (i.e., impossible). PS: I hate to say this, but I agree with espeir. ;P 1 / ∞ is infinitesimal, not 0.

                            Cheers, Vikram.


                            "whoever I am, I'm not other people" - Corinna John.

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                            ensger
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #16

                            That's al true - I understand. but we ave some methematics - here we call it 'Wahrscheinlichkeitsrechnung' (possibility-calculation), that works with somthing like this. And the results are good!!

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                            • V Vikram A Punathambekar

                              But your analogy looks flawed to me. For instance, how would you select the 'winning number' when the tickets are infinite? A more accurate analogy would be something like this: You have 3 white socks and 4 black socks in a closet. What is the probability that a sock drawn at random is blue? The answer is 0, which means the event cannot occur (i.e., impossible). PS: I hate to say this, but I agree with espeir. ;P 1 / ∞ is infinitesimal, not 0.

                              Cheers, Vikram.


                              "whoever I am, I'm not other people" - Corinna John.

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                              ensger
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #17

                              That's all true - I understand. but we have some methematics - here we call it 'Wahrscheinlichkeitsrechnung' (possibility-calculation), that works with somthing like this. And the results are good!!

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                              • E ensger

                                I've got an intersting question - see above. If you think, you have the answer, answer this. I am part of a lottery with infinite numbers. So the possibility is 1 / infinity = 0. But is it imposiblo to have the right nuber??? So, what means possibility of 0??

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                                Bassam Abdul Baki
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #18

                                Math forum please.


                                "In this house, we obey the laws of thermodynamics!" - Homer Simpson Web - Blog - RSS - Math - LinkedIn

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                                • V Vikram A Punathambekar

                                  But your analogy looks flawed to me. For instance, how would you select the 'winning number' when the tickets are infinite? A more accurate analogy would be something like this: You have 3 white socks and 4 black socks in a closet. What is the probability that a sock drawn at random is blue? The answer is 0, which means the event cannot occur (i.e., impossible). PS: I hate to say this, but I agree with espeir. ;P 1 / ∞ is infinitesimal, not 0.

                                  Cheers, Vikram.


                                  "whoever I am, I'm not other people" - Corinna John.

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                                  Jorgen Sigvardsson
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #19

                                  Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:

                                  1 / ∞ is infinitesimal, not 0.

                                  It's neither. It's undetermined, because infinity cannot be determined. That's sort of the whole point with infinity. You can however examine what happens when certain parameters grow towards infinity. (which has already been stated)

                                  -- Simulcast on Crazy People's Fillings

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                                  • B Bassam Abdul Baki

                                    Math forum please.


                                    "In this house, we obey the laws of thermodynamics!" - Homer Simpson Web - Blog - RSS - Math - LinkedIn

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                                    Jorgen Sigvardsson
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #20

                                    :-D

                                    -- Simulcast on Crazy People's Fillings

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                                    • E ensger

                                      I've got an intersting question - see above. If you think, you have the answer, answer this. I am part of a lottery with infinite numbers. So the possibility is 1 / infinity = 0. But is it imposiblo to have the right nuber??? So, what means possibility of 0??

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                                      Andy Brummer
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #21

                                      There are number systems where 1/infinity is 0 and others where it is an infinetesimal. Still others have multiple sizes of infinity. There are geometries with a different infinity in each direction and others where they are all the same. The answer depends on which model matches the problem you are trying to solve. The hard part in probability with small values is there is always a 100% probability that one of them will occur. So if you have an ungodly number of extremely unlikely events, you will probably never pick which one will happen, but you can be sure that one of them will.


                                      I can imagine the sinking feeling one would have after ordering my book, only to find a laughably ridiculous theory with demented logic once the book arrives - Mark McCutcheon

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                                      • E ensger

                                        I've got an intersting question - see above. If you think, you have the answer, answer this. I am part of a lottery with infinite numbers. So the possibility is 1 / infinity = 0. But is it imposiblo to have the right nuber??? So, what means possibility of 0??

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                                        TintinV3ck
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #22

                                        Yes, you have a small chance. However, the possibility of finding the value of infinity is better! Does that answer your question?

                                        Regards, Tintin

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                                        • E ensger

                                          I've got an intersting question - see above. If you think, you have the answer, answer this. I am part of a lottery with infinite numbers. So the possibility is 1 / infinity = 0. But is it imposiblo to have the right nuber??? So, what means possibility of 0??

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                                          Gary Wheeler
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #23

                                          The problem is that you are trying to reason about a mathematical concept in the wrong language. You are trying to reason using essentially 'verbal' language, whereas you should be using mathematics:        ∞ lim Σ 1/n = 0      n = 0


                                          Software Zen: delete this;

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