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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!

    O Offline
    O Offline
    obermd
    wrote on last edited by
    #7

    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!

      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
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              • 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
                          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
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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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                                      • H honey the codewitch

                                        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 Offline
                                        OriginalGriffO Offline
                                        OriginalGriff
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #25

                                        Start with two bit signed numbers and work your way up from there ... :-D That always made me laugh - back in the day when CD players were the Bee's Knees they proudly announced the kit contained a "1 bit DA converter" on the adverts (and the player, normally).

                                        "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 J 2 Replies Last reply
                                        0
                                        • P PIEBALDconsult

                                          Is zero positive?

                                          M Offline
                                          M Offline
                                          MarkTJohnson
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #26

                                          1 - (-1) = 1+1 = 2

                                          I’ve given up trying to be calm. However, I am open to feeling slightly less agitated. I’m begging you for the benefit of everyone, don’t be STUPID.

                                          R 1 Reply Last reply
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