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I'm just about a math retard, so 99.9% of that went right by me. My only question is this. Pi is supposed to be an infinite number: 3.14... So what would Tau

I'm just about a math retard, so 99.9% of that went right by me. My only question is this. Pi is supposed to be an infinite number: 3.14... So what would Tau be? Is it also infinite or finite? I didn't see that addressed -- or I somehow missed it in my concentrated skim. TIA.

steveklabnik 16y ago
> infinite number The term you're looking for is 'irrational.' And tau is also irrational.
- est 16y ago
  > The term you're looking for is 'irrational.' I think by infinite he means non-terminating. Conversely, an irrational number always has a non-terminating non-repeating decimal representation.
  - steveklabnik 16y ago
    You're technically correct, the best kind. I'd argue, however, that 'irrational' is closer to what he meant, than the exactness of what he said. Any time you move between a layman's understanding and a detailed technical one, the abstraction can leak. I think 'irrational' matches up with intuition better, even if it's described as 'non-terminating.' People don't talk about 2/3 in the same way they talk about π.
    - est 16y ago
      > I think 'irrational' matches up with intuition better, even if it's described as 'non-terminating.' well, counter example, 1.22333444455555..... is an irrational number, but it's somehow easy to understand rationally. LOL Also it's worthy point out decimals are heavily related to positional notation. Another fun example is we can use base-e number system for maximum calculation efficiency. Or better, base-tau. So 6.28 in base10 equals 1 in base-tau numeral system. see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-integer_representation#Base_.CF.80 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-integer_representation#Base... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factorial_number_system http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factorial_number_system
      - tspiteri 16y ago
        Rational numbers have more to do with ratios than reason.
wwortiz 16y ago
Their tau is just two times pi.
acangiano 16y ago
Both Pi and Tau are irrational (what you call "infinite", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrational_number http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrational_number) and trascendental (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendental_number http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendental_number). They are also believed to be normal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_number http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_number), but there is no proof of this.
mikecane 16y ago
Thanks, everyone for the replies.

steveklabnik 16y ago

> infinite number The term you're looking for is 'irrational.' And tau is also irrational.

est 16y ago
> The term you're looking for is 'irrational.' I think by infinite he means non-terminating. Conversely, an irrational number always has a non-terminating non-repeating decimal representation.
- steveklabnik 16y ago
  You're technically correct, the best kind. I'd argue, however, that 'irrational' is closer to what he meant, than the exactness of what he said. Any time you move between a layman's understanding and a detailed technical one, the abstraction can leak. I think 'irrational' matches up with intuition better, even if it's described as 'non-terminating.' People don't talk about 2/3 in the same way they talk about π.
  - est 16y ago
    > I think 'irrational' matches up with intuition better, even if it's described as 'non-terminating.' well, counter example, 1.22333444455555..... is an irrational number, but it's somehow easy to understand rationally. LOL Also it's worthy point out decimals are heavily related to positional notation. Another fun example is we can use base-e number system for maximum calculation efficiency. Or better, base-tau. So 6.28 in base10 equals 1 in base-tau numeral system. see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-integer_representation#Base_.CF.80 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-integer_representation#Base... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factorial_number_system http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factorial_number_system
    - tspiteri 16y ago
      Rational numbers have more to do with ratios than reason.

wwortiz 16y ago

Their tau is just two times pi.

acangiano 16y ago

Both Pi and Tau are irrational (what you call "infinite", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrational_number http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrational_number) and trascendental (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendental_number http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendental_number). They are also believed to be normal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_number http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_number), but there is no proof of this.

mikecane 16y ago

Thanks, everyone for the replies.