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  3. A gentle puzzle I was just asked.

A gentle puzzle I was just asked.

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved The Lounge
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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
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    • 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
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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!

        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
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                  • 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
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                            • 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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                              • 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!

                                M Offline
                                M Offline
                                Member 11561335
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #27

                                Isn't it just 2? I mean the smallest positive int is 1. The largest negative int is -1. (-1 is bigger than -2) so it's just 1 - (-1) which is 2.

                                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!

                                  K Offline
                                  K Offline
                                  k5054
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #28

                                  The question is ambiguous in terms of what "largest negative" means. In a strict mathematical sense, that number is -1. But in an natural language sense, "largest negative" would mean "most negative". For example, when my bank account hits $-500, I owe a larger amount than when its only $-10!

                                  "A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants" Chuckles the clown

                                  OriginalGriffO J 0 D P 5 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!

                                    M Offline
                                    M Offline
                                    Marc Clifton
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #29

                                    This is why I hated math word problems. To me, the "largest negative integer" is -infinity because, for example, -3 is "larger" than -2 on the "negative" scale. "Largeness" to me is ambiguous. But my brain works in weird ways when it comes to converting words into math expressions.

                                    Latest Articles:
                                    A Lightweight Thread Safe In-Memory Keyed Generic Cache Collection Service A Dynamic Where Implementation for Entity Framework

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                                    • K k5054

                                      The question is ambiguous in terms of what "largest negative" means. In a strict mathematical sense, that number is -1. But in an natural language sense, "largest negative" would mean "most negative". For example, when my bank account hits $-500, I owe a larger amount than when its only $-10!

                                      "A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants" Chuckles the clown

                                      OriginalGriffO Offline
                                      OriginalGriffO Offline
                                      OriginalGriff
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #30

                                      Yes, you owe a larger amount - which means you have a lower bank balance!

                                      "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
                                      • K k5054

                                        The question is ambiguous in terms of what "largest negative" means. In a strict mathematical sense, that number is -1. But in an natural language sense, "largest negative" would mean "most negative". For example, when my bank account hits $-500, I owe a larger amount than when its only $-10!

                                        "A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants" Chuckles the clown

                                        J Offline
                                        J Offline
                                        jschell
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #31

                                        k5054 wrote:

                                        question is ambiguous in terms

                                        I agree. It needs better term definitions to provide a correct answer. But I can see that some of the answers above taking it to mean the question is phrased to taken as a trick question and so rather simple.

                                        1 Reply Last reply
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                                        • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                          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!

                                          R Offline
                                          R Offline
                                          Rich Leyshon
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #32

                                          This was the first question that crossed my mind. According to the interweb, it's the size of the absolute value. Maybe it really depends on what the numbers are representing. On a graph, (-2,-2) is a greater distance from the origin than (-1,-1). I would rather reverse my car into a lamp post at -1mph than -20! Of course, doing it the other way round could be a good way out of a speeding fine. If I state I was clocking my speed in a backwards direction then my forward speed would be negative and the further I went above the speed limit, the smaller my speed would be. "Take him down ..."

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