Not english but I find it fun

Question

Is the statement: Two point nine nine recuring equals three valid?

Woodward · Accepted Answer

If I were a Mathmatician I would say NO but you can't get much closer to 3 than that can you?

The_mystic_dude · Answer

yes, it is the same!

take one third 1/3 which is 0.333333333333333333...
take two thirds 2/3 which is 0.66666666666666666...

now take 3/3 which is logically 0.9999999999999999....
but you can make out of 3/3 the number 1, by dividing both the numerator and the denominator by 3, which equals 1/1, so that is 1.

Therefore 0.9999999999... and 1 is EXACTLY the same, not just approximately the same.

This is just the explenations for dummies, if you want a proper one which includes mainly calculus, tell me please

Woodward · Answer

That's an interesting way to look at it. Sounds logical.

Chris · Answer

I agree with what you said Mystic however if someone runs 100 metres in 10.0 seconds and another in 9.99999999 who wins the race? In your opinion would it be a draw?

The_mystic_dude · Answer

Well, the number 0.999999999... doesn't actually exist. You can get 0.3333... by typing 1 divided by 3 into your calculator. But there is nothing that you can type in to get 0.99999...

When you measure somebody's time with a stop watch, you do not measure recurring numbers, stop watches have a certain accuracy, therefore you can't measure 0.9999999999....

If the accuracy is 3 digits (to one thousand), the closest call would be 0.999. That would of course be smaller than 1. In NO CASE 0.999 equals 1, only recurring numbers 0.9999999... equal 1.

Make a test. Take your calculator, type in 1 divided by 3, look at the result and then multiply that by 3. You will get the number 1 as result.

If you, however, type in 0.3333 manually, you will get after multiplying it 0.9999, because you cannot type recurring numbers manually into your calculator

Not english but I find it fun

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions