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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!

    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
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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
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            • 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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                      • 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.

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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 ..."

                                  1 Reply Last reply
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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

                                    0 Offline
                                    0 Offline
                                    0x01AA
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #33

                                    I think for a programming forum the question is appropriately precise/clearly worded ;) Shame on me, my brain also focused on -Infinity for the largest negative number :-O :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!

                                      B Offline
                                      B Offline
                                      BobbyStrain
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #34

                                      That would be 0.

                                      0 D 2 Replies Last reply
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                                      • B BobbyStrain

                                        That would be 0.

                                        0 Offline
                                        0 Offline
                                        0x01AA
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #35

                                        This certainly implies correctness in the mathematical sense. The consequence for programmers would then also be: 0 == 0: true 0 > 0 : true 0 < 0 :true

                                        1 Reply Last reply
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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

                                          D Offline
                                          D Offline
                                          dbrenth
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #36

                                          What you OWE is a positive amount. What your bank account is is a negative amount. On the other hand, I keep getting a "bill" from a company for -$.01. I have called and talked to them multiple times, and they keep sending me the bill. Just send me the penny. It would be much cheaper. Brent Hoskisson

                                          Brent

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