40+40x0+1 ?

You know what I love about MN? That sort of stuff coming from a fictional dachshund

and if anyone's confused, omega is the same as aleph zero, provided you assume the axiom of choice

Jux, no, this is set theory actually :)

nickelbabe you can add stuff to infinity - just not in this context. If we're dealing with infinite ordinals (first, second, third, ..., omega-th,...) where omega is shorthand for the smallest infinite ordinal, you find that omega + 1 is not omega. However, 1 + omega=omega.

I love it when addition gets non-commutative :o

Dividing by zero is most certainly undefined. If you decide it is 'equal' to something, then all sorts of inconsistencies soon start to occur.

e.g.
If you were to state that 1/0= infinity, then you would have to agree that 1=infinity x 0. (In the same way that saying 6/2=3 is equivalent to saying 6=3x2)

But we know that 0 times anything is 0, so the conclusion would be that

1=0

Which is clearly nonsense.

Look at the graph, nickel at x=0. Is it 'equal to' positive infinity or negative infinity seeing as it approaches both positive and negative infinity as you get closer to x = 0 depending on which direction you are headed in.

It can't be equal to both. In fact it's equal to neither, it is undefined, we can't say where the graph is at x=0.

Absolutely, definitely, 41.
In the absence of brackets, you perform the multiplication first.

40+400+1 = 40+(400)+1 = 40+0+1 = 41

(40+40)0+1 = 1
(40+40)(0+1) = 80

Zero cannot be obtained unless the 0 is moved to the start or end.

but it's infinite giraffe - that means that it must = infinity.
that graph will never ever end - that's what infinity is

Indeed x tends to infinity. But at no point is x equal to infinity.

If you plotted a graph of y = 40/x, then as x gets closer to zero, then the y value gets higher and higher, the graph gets closer and closer to a vertical line as it gets closer to the y axis. Then, when x is negative, the graph suddenly reappears below the x axis. When x = 0 the graph skips a bit (an asymptote) because at that point the value of 40/x is undefined.

Look at the graph of y=1/x <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=graph+of+y%3D1/x&hl=en&safe=off&sa=X&biw=1280&bih=685&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=qz5X7hlE4XYF4M:&imgrefurl=hotmath.com/hotmath_help/topics/asymptotes.html&docid=HJcFNTZwe5FVQM&imgurl=hotmath.com/hotmath_help/topics/asymptotes/hyperbola.gif&w=300&h=301&ei=ZVK9TrWwEoGn8gPqxqG6BA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=545&sig=114332862869581834220&page=3&tbnh=142&tbnw=142&start=33&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:33&tx=113&ty=46" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here which is the same shape. What happens when x=0? It skips a bit and in that gap switches from massively positive to massively negative.

I did A-level maths and I thought it was 1, never heard of BODMAS we always had brackets.

This may be why I failed A-level maths. :o
I was in the top set for GCSE though.

40/0 is not infinity, it is undefined.

However, re adding things to infinity you've got to love Hilbert's Hotel.
Hilbert's hotel has infinitely many rooms and they're all full. A guest comes along wanting a room. No problem, the person in room 1 moves to room 2, the person in room 2 moves to room 3 and so on. That leaves room 1 free for the new guest to stay in.

So, there are infinitely many rooms and they are all full. An infinite number of guests turn up wanting rooms. So the person in room 1 moves to room 2, the person in room 2 moves to room 4, the person in room 3 moves to room 6 and so on. As there are infinitely many even numbers, the infinitely many guests already in the hotel get a new room.
This leaves the odd numbered rooms free. As there are infinitely many odd numbers, the infinitely many new guests all can be fitted in.

Will do

TP - rubbish - Must try harder

Lougle, you should actually ask if there are any divisions OR multiplications and any additions OR subractions - if there are, you go from left to right. Otherwise it could be understood that you always have to do all additions and then all subtractions, which is not correct.

nickle, that was my attempt at a joke.

TP - that's what I said.

I tried to do a keyboard shortcut for infinity, but it printed out as ý

I think we need another thread re dividing by zero and infinity cause I'm not getting that - very muddled about that!

nicklebabe,

40/0 = 8 (but 8 is written on its side and means lots)

SayCoolNowSayWhip, is you friend a fan of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. You could give her any sum to do and her answer will always be 42.

Nice post Lougle.

Any one who doesn't get it should refer to Lougle's post @ Fri 11-Nov-11 10:30:25

I agree its 41
40 + (40 x 0) + 1

you do the multiplications first - 40 x 0 = 0, the add 40, the add 1

40 + 40/0 + 1 = infinity + 41.
now, because infinity is infinite, technically you can't add anything to it, so it has to be
40 + 40/0 + 1 = infinity

Obviously once you are familiar with the process, you will naturally contract the steps, and might not even be aware that you are using them. But if you use BODMAS fluently, those are the steps your brain will take, even if you aren't conscious of it.