zero divide

[dejitaru]

What is the value of 0/0?

I've heard that it's zero, yet it was not explained to me.

0/x == 0

x/x == 1

x/0 == infinity



Also, why, after all these years, can computers still not zero divide?

 

[josphII]

think about what divide actually means, it means "to take from"

for example 9 divided by 3 equals 3 because you can take 3 from 9 3 times. if you have a quantity and try to take 0 from it (divide by 0) you can do that operation an infinite number of times. even if i have nothing i can still take nothing away from it and be left with nothing, thus

0/0 = infinity, x/0 = infinity

 

[Yomicron]

0/0 is undefined

x/0 = infinity (for x !=0)

 

[Agent004]

It's indeed undefined, due to the way division is defined.

we say a divides b if there exists a number c so that b = ac. ie, 3 divides 6 because 6 = 2*3. In other words, we define division by multiplcation(which makes sense, since there are two ops, addition and muliplication), b is a multiple of a, a is a factor of b.

Now if 0/0 exists, then for 0 divides 0, there should be a number x such that 0 = 0*x. However, 0*x = 0 for any values of x . Hence there isn't a particular solution or value you can say for 0/0

Hence 0/0 is not defined.

 

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: Agent004
It's indeed undefined, due to the way division is defined.

we say a divides b if there exists a number c so that b = ac. ie, 3 divides 6 because 6 = 2*3. In other words, we define division by multiplcation(which makes sense, since there are two ops, addition and muliplication), b is a multiple of a, a is a factor of b.

Now if 0/0 exists, then for 0 divides 0, there should be a number x such that 0 = 0*x. However, 0*x = 0 for any values of x . Hence there isn't a particular solution or value you can say for 0/0

Hence 0/0 is not defined.

The above is the best explanation I've seen yet, though it may be a little complex. Basically, you can take nothing away from something an infinite amount of times, so x/0 is undefined.

 

[KillerCow]

0/0 is undefined.

0 divides 0, by the definition of division.

But any real divided by zero is undefined since

lim y->0+ x/y = +infinty and lim y->0- x/y = -infinty do not converge, and therefore is NotANumber.

see: Division By Zero

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: dejitaru


Also, why, after all these years, can computers still not zero divide?

I wrote simple programs that could at least handle it.
Just have a few lines telling it that if the divisor is 0, then kick out of the loop, or just try a different number, something like that.

 

[neo4s]

I hate math

 

[PIMPBOT5000]

Math owns you!!!

Me a double major in math and cs.

 

[Mrpilot007]

This definition would also explain how evolution doesnt exist as scientist say. 0 + 0 can not =1

 

[PIMPBOT5000]

Actually Gödel said all numbers can equal each other.

He was a pretty wierd guy... He worked in theoretical math and logic.

Some of his stuff is very intresting to say the least... It kinda makes you scratch your head and say that makes since because its logical and simple, but it takes and incredible genius like him to figure it out.

He basically said that all math is based in boundaries that cannont be proven because they themselves rely on other unproven theory, so logically all math is unproven theory.

So, in fact, 0 can equal 1 or 45367 or anything for that matter. Go figure... Like I said wierd stuff!

 

[RossGr]

I think you are misinterpeting Godels work. His incompleteness theorem is simply a statement that there exists in every logical system a true statement which cannot be proven true. This is a long ways from what you are claiming. It is not a claim that NO statement can be proven true.

 

[sao123]

My new quote for this year...

Calculus was invented by some bastard mathematician because he wanted to divide by zero and still get an answer.

 

[dejitaru]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: dejitaru


Also, why, after all these years, can computers still not zero divide?

I wrote simple programs that could at least handle it.
Just have a few lines telling it that if the divisor is 0, then kick out of the loop, or just try a different number, something like that.

Yes, but your processor cannot.

 

[VBboy]

Originally posted by: dejitaru
What is the value of 0/0?

I've heard that it's zero, yet it was not explained to me.

0/x == 0, x/x == 1, x/0 == infinity



Also, why, after all these years, can computers still not zero divide?

LOL. Someone is going to get divided by 0 in their Calculus class
As many pointed out, 0/0 is undefined, meaning the operation is illegal and the result cannot be determined. Do not confuse this with taking a square root of -1 (which results in i).

Additionally, it does not makes sense for computers to divide by 0. I won't get into the way that ALU and FPU works, but in general it is considered an illegal operation. Many mathematical programs work around this limitation by producing the result "infinity" (MathCad, Maple), while others refuse to perform the operation claiming it to be illegal.

 

[woolmilk]

x/x == 1

Only for x != 0

Theres also the calculation of a limit (hospital) like
lim( x/x ) =1
(x->0)