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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!

    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…

        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?

            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!

              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
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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
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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
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                              • 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
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                                • 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
                                      0
                                      • P PIEBALDconsult

                                        Is zero positive?

                                        R Offline
                                        R Offline
                                        RainHat
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #23

                                        It can be positive, negative or unsigned depending on the representation and how it is used. Fnu

                                        P 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!

                                          H Offline
                                          H Offline
                                          honey the codewitch
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #24

                                          at what bit depth? ;P

                                          Check out my IoT graphics library here: https://honeythecodewitch.com/gfx And my IoT UI/User Experience library here: https://honeythecodewitch.com/uix

                                          OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
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