4 ms·

I find it funny that people have no problem understanding that 9/9 = 1 or .5 * 2 = 1 or 1/9 * 9 = 1 but suddenly when represented as 0.999... = 1 the matter bec

• onemoreact 15y ago
  wait .52 = 1 ? view source "or .5<i>2 = 1 or 1/9 </i> 9 = 1" ahh .5 * 2 = 1
  • parfe 15y ago
    No kidding, markup italicized it.
• corin_ 15y ago
  I don't see how that's really surprising. Your examples are all easily explainable to a very young child and can be described in physical terms, "9 apples split between 9 people", "half a cake times two" - even people who don't need such simplistic thoughts, the fact that it is relatable to real life does make it easier to grasp. Whereas 0.999... just isn't relatable at all, it's a concept that purely exists for the sake of mathematics. Not to mention, your examples are all sums, 0.999... = 1 isn't. You can call them all equations, sure, but the difference is that between "if I make changes to X then it can equal Y" and "X already equals Y, even though they appear to be different numbers".
  • parfe 15y ago
    Very well then a sum based explanation: 1/9 = .111... 2/9 = .222... 3/9 = .333... 4/9 = .444... 5/9 = .555... 6/9 = .666... 7/9 = .777... 8/9 = .888... 9/9 = .999... = 1 the .999 = 1 issue is not a math problem so much as a symbol issue. Those fractional representations of ninths are presented to 4th graders if i recall correctly, yet adults will argue that there must exist some number between .999... and 1 even though both symbols represent the same value.