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  3. A gentle puzzle I was just asked.

A gentle puzzle I was just asked.

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  • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

    What is the smallest positive integer minus the largest negative integer?

    "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

    D Offline
    D Offline
    den2k88
    wrote on last edited by
    #2

    0

    GCS/GE d--(d) s-/+ a C+++ U+++ P-- L+@ E-- W+++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++*      Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X The shortest horror story: On Error Resume Next

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    • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

      What is the smallest positive integer minus the largest negative integer?

      "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

      L Offline
      L Offline
      Lost User
      wrote on last edited by
      #3

      Well, considering the smallest negative integer is infinite…

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      • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

        What is the smallest positive integer minus the largest negative integer?

        "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

        Richard Andrew x64R Offline
        Richard Andrew x64R Offline
        Richard Andrew x64
        wrote on last edited by
        #4

        Infinity - if you're talking about real numbers.

        The difficult we do right away... ...the impossible takes slightly longer.

        D OriginalGriffO 2 Replies Last reply
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        • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

          What is the smallest positive integer minus the largest negative integer?

          "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

          R Offline
          R Offline
          Rich Leyshon
          wrote on last edited by
          #5

          Undefined, tending to infinity???

          OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
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          • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

            What is the smallest positive integer minus the largest negative integer?

            "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

            O Offline
            O Offline
            obermd
            wrote on last edited by
            #6

            Arithmetic Overflow. :laugh:

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            • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

              What is the smallest positive integer minus the largest negative integer?

              "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

              L Offline
              L Offline
              Lost User
              wrote on last edited by
              #7

              Well, considering the largest negative integer tends to infinity…

              R 1 Reply Last reply
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              • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                What is the smallest positive integer minus the largest negative integer?

                "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                A Offline
                A Offline
                Amarnath S
                wrote on last edited by
                #8

                Smallest positive integer = 1 Largest negative integer = -1 Difference is 2.

                R OriginalGriffO R L J 6 Replies Last reply
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                • Richard Andrew x64R Richard Andrew x64

                  Infinity - if you're talking about real numbers.

                  The difficult we do right away... ...the impossible takes slightly longer.

                  D Offline
                  D Offline
                  dandy72
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #9

                  If we're talking about whole integers, wouldn't it be minus infinity plus one?

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                  • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                    What is the smallest positive integer minus the largest negative integer?

                    "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                    Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
                    Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
                    Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #10

                    It seems a lot read it wrongly... The art of understanding a question...

                    "If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker that came along would destroy civilization." ― Gerald Weinberg

                    "It never ceases to amaze me that a spacecraft launched in 1977 can be fixed remotely from Earth." ― Brian Cox

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                    • A Amarnath S

                      Smallest positive integer = 1 Largest negative integer = -1 Difference is 2.

                      R Offline
                      R Offline
                      Rage
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #11

                      That was my first shot as well, but the answers above cast a big doubt. I am too naive.

                      Do not escape reality : improve reality !

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                      • Richard Andrew x64R Richard Andrew x64

                        Infinity - if you're talking about real numbers.

                        The difficult we do right away... ...the impossible takes slightly longer.

                        OriginalGriffO Offline
                        OriginalGriffO Offline
                        OriginalGriff
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #12

                        Oh? Is -2 bigger than -1 now? :-D

                        "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                        "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                        "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                        P D 2 Replies Last reply
                        0
                        • R Rich Leyshon

                          Undefined, tending to infinity???

                          OriginalGriffO Offline
                          OriginalGriffO Offline
                          OriginalGriff
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #13

                          So which is bigger: -1 or -2?

                          "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                          "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                          "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                          R L 2 Replies Last reply
                          0
                          • A Amarnath S

                            Smallest positive integer = 1 Largest negative integer = -1 Difference is 2.

                            OriginalGriffO Offline
                            OriginalGriffO Offline
                            OriginalGriff
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #14

                            Dat's de bunny! :thumbsup: Surprising how many people think -2 is bigger than -1. :-D

                            "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                            "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                            "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                            B 1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                              What is the smallest positive integer minus the largest negative integer?

                              "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                              P Offline
                              P Offline
                              PIEBALDconsult
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #15

                              Is zero positive?

                              J OriginalGriffO R M M 5 Replies Last reply
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                              • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                Dat's de bunny! :thumbsup: Surprising how many people think -2 is bigger than -1. :-D

                                "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                                B Offline
                                B Offline
                                Brisingr Aerowing
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #16

                                Also what I got, mostly as I've had to solve this puzzle in multiple math classes, and was usually the only person to get it right (sadly).

                                What do you get when you cross a joke with a rhetorical question? The metaphorical solid rear-end expulsions have impacted the metaphorical motorized bladed rotating air movement mechanism. Do questions with multiple question marks annoy you???

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                                • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                  What is the smallest positive integer minus the largest negative integer?

                                  "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                                  C Offline
                                  C Offline
                                  CPallini
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #17

                                  10. Or, possibly, 42.

                                  "In testa che avete, Signor di Ceprano?" -- Rigoletto

                                  J 1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • P PIEBALDconsult

                                    Is zero positive?

                                    J Offline
                                    J Offline
                                    Jeremy Falcon
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #18

                                    From a comp sci and data representation perspective, yes. Not sure about the math perspective.

                                    Jeremy Falcon

                                    OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • C CPallini

                                      10. Or, possibly, 42.

                                      "In testa che avete, Signor di Ceprano?" -- Rigoletto

                                      J Offline
                                      J Offline
                                      Jeremy Falcon
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #19

                                      It's always 42; we just didn't invent the math yet to get us there.

                                      Jeremy Falcon

                                      OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • J Jeremy Falcon

                                        From a comp sci and data representation perspective, yes. Not sure about the math perspective.

                                        Jeremy Falcon

                                        OriginalGriffO Offline
                                        OriginalGriffO Offline
                                        OriginalGriff
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #20

                                        From a math perspective, zero is neither positive nor negative: Negative number - Wikipedia[^]

                                        "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                                        "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                                        "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • P PIEBALDconsult

                                          Is zero positive?

                                          OriginalGriffO Offline
                                          OriginalGriffO Offline
                                          OriginalGriff
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #21

                                          From a math perspective, zero is neither positive nor negative: Negative number - Wikipedia[^]

                                          "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                                          "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                                          "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                                          1 Reply Last reply
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