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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!

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

    Well, considering the smallest negative integer is infinite…

    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!

      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
      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!

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

        Undefined, tending to infinity???

        OriginalGriffO 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!

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

          Arithmetic Overflow. :laugh:

          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!

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

            Well, considering the largest negative integer tends to infinity…

            raddevusR 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 raddevusR L J 6 Replies Last reply
              0
              • 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 !

                    1 Reply 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.

                      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
                            0
                            • 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!

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

                                10. Or, possibly, 42.

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

                                In testa che avete, signor di Ceprano?

                                J 1 Reply Last reply
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                                • 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
                                  • CPalliniC 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
                                        0
                                        • J Jeremy Falcon

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

                                          Jeremy Falcon

                                          OriginalGriffO Offline
                                          OriginalGriffO Offline
                                          OriginalGriff
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #22

                                          We did: fractional bases[^] - but it makes my head hurt trying to think of them ... :-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

                                          1 Reply Last reply
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