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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!

    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
          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!

            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?

              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

                1 Reply Last reply
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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???

                            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!

                              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
                                        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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