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Article #6378Re: Stupid Math tricks (was Re: Zeno's Paradox)
From: Enkidu
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 00:00
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 00:00
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In article <3359E6C3.5420@nextconnect.com>, jonm@nextconnect.com wrote: }Yep, makes sense (and it will give me something other than tax to think }about as I drift off to sleep tonight), but I can't believe in bigger or }smaller infinities. I imagine that this makes me a mathematical heathen. } }Jon I've often hit the "suspension of disbelief" barrier when attempting to explain mathematical concepts, from the hierarchy of infinities to (in a different person) why when multiplying makes a number *bigger*, multiplying 1 * (1/3) makes it get *smaller*. The idea that everyone who understands these concepts was able to assimilate them in one blinding flash seems ridiculous to me. . . history and experience both suggest that new ideas start out as too bizarre to be credited, and evolve voracity as they become more and more necessary to problem-solving. Omar -- Opinions presented here do not reflect those of my employer. Extraordinarily, they do reflect the opinions of the Klatta Barata Niktu fraternity and waste ethanol disposal corporation, Austin, TX. Respondants kindly asked to use the spacebar.
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X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 102cdf,685ba1a60412cd32 X-Google-Attributes: gid102cdf,public X-Google-Thread: 10a148,685ba1a60412cd32 X-Google-Attributes: gid10a148,public X-Google-Thread: 10f3ae,685ba1a60412cd32 X-Google-Attributes: gid10f3ae,public X-Google-Thread: f5d40,685ba1a60412cd32 X-Google-Attributes: gidf5d40,public X-Google-Thread: ffd1b,685ba1a60412cd32 X-Google-Attributes: gidffd1b,public From: enkidu@mail.utexas.edu (Enkidu) Subject: Re: Stupid Math tricks (was Re: Zeno's Paradox) Date: 1997/04/21 Message-ID: <enkidu-2104971331430001@slip-g-12.ots.utexas.edu> X-Deja-AN: 236395735 References: <858944975.21700@dejanews.com> <E7pGE8.21v@watserv3.uwaterloo.ca> <hatunenE7pK18.n1L@netcom.com> <5he5lg$hs8@flood.weeg.uiowa.edu> <5heubn$r3v@gap.cco.caltech.edu> <5hhq2q$fr1@usenet.rpi.edu> <5j4pis$3ka$1@nnrp01.primenet.com> <dlawson-1804970653040001@news2.aimnet.com> <Pine.HPP.3.91.970418125337.19713E-100000@pwic045.ks.boeing.com> <5467xk2crt.fsf_-_@puli.cisco.com> <33581A1D.54D2@nextconnect.com> <3358552F.7ECA@greenms.com> <3359E6C3.5420@nextconnect.com> Organization: The University of Texas at Austin Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle,alt.conspiracy,alt.folklore.science,hsv.general,alt.folklore.urban