The mathematical notion of infinity can be conceptualized in many different ways. First, as counting by hundreds for the rest of our lives, an endless quantity. It can also be thought of as digging a whole in hell for eternity, negative infinity. The concept I will explore, however, is infinitely smaller quantities, through radioactive decay .
Infinity is by definition an indefinitely large quantity. It is hard to grasp the magnitude of such an idea. When we examine infinity further by setting up one-to-one correspondence's between sets we see a few peculiarities. There are as many natural numbers as even numbers. We also see there are as many natural numbers as multiples of two. This poses the problem of designating the cardinality of the natural numbers. The standard symbol for the cardinality of the natural numbers is o. The set of even natural numbers has the same number of members as the set of natural numbers. The both have the same cardinality o. By transfinite arithmetic we can see this exemplified. .
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 .
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 .
When we add one number to the set of evens, in this case 0 it appears that the bottom set is larger, but when we shift the bottom set over our initial statement is true again.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 .
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 .
We again have achieved a one-to-one correspondence with the top row, this proves that the cardinality of both is the same being o. This correspondence leads to the conclusion that o+1=o. When we add two infinite sets together, we also get the sum of infinity; o+o=o. .
This being said we can try to find larger sets of infinity. Cantor was able to show that some infinite sets do have cardinality greater than o, given 1.
Infinity Most everyone is familiar with the infinity symbol, the one that looks like the number eight tipped over on its side. ... How big is infinity? Does infinity really exist? You can't count to infinity. ... Infinity is a very controversial topic in mathematics. ...
INFINITY The grades that I am most familiar with are K-3, so that is what I am going to concentrate on for this paper. ... She is a recently retired 2nd grade teacher, and when I asked her what I should teach children about infinity, she said that little kids are much smarter than we think sometimes, she told me that she used very basic ideas, and simply enough, she told them that infinity is something that goes on forever, and doesn't stop. ... (mathforum.org) Then I will explain to them that infinity is NOT a number, and show them the symbol for it. ... Some other questions I woul...
In turn, the concept of infinity cannot be truly understood by humans as humans have no experience of infinity. It is possible to define infinity. ... Human knowledge cannot understand infinity. ... Trying to visualize infinity in our heads is impossible. ... Humans have never experienced infinity so humans do not truly understand infinity. ...
The Infinity Room Alex Jordan had been planning the Infinity Room for forty years before the construction of it began in 1984. Jordan's original plans had the Infinity Room beaming made out of wood and extending out approximately only 65 feet. ... With support the Infinity Room protrudes out a total of 218 feet. ... There was at one point in time, a tree that was growing from the roof of the Infinity Room's farthest point. ... The actual Infinity Room was built in a telescoping manner. ...
Mathematician Reuben Hersh questioned " Where do infinities come from? ... The idea of infinity exists but not infinity itself." The lack of evidence for actual infinities is a mathematical strength behind the cosmological argument. ... Cantor, another objector, was angered by the treatment of infinities as a normal number. Similar thinkers showed the contradiction of the cosmological argument in reference to infinities: the cosmological argument uses the "impossibility of actual infinities" to prove the existence of an infinite God. ...
Now in efficient causes it is not possible to go on to infinity, because in all efficient causes following in order, the first is the cause of the intermediate cause, and the intermediate is the cause of the ultimate cause, whether the intermediate cause be several, or only one." ... "Now it is impossible to go on to infinity in necessary things which have their necessity caused by another, as has already proved in regard to efficient causes. ... Aquinas is trying to say that there cannot be a process that goes on into infinity. ...
Once this occurs, the aforementioned pinpoint of infinity would then explode in another "Big Bang" into another universe. ... Mathematically, we could define the universe as having a life cycle of (10x10^-infinity) Hz, or an infinitely long time between cycles. ... Until we can define that amount of time, and infinity makes itself slightly more manageable, we are just sentient beings who happen to be carried along for the ride. ...
As she tries to touch the sky with her hand, she becomes overwhelmed and realizes that it goes on into infinity. Becoming overwhelmed by the thought of infinity, Edna St. Vincent Millay tries to relate her awareness of infinity to a total sense of compassion for all mankind. ... This strategy, peering into infinity can be traced and understood by a careful study of her poem, "Renascence". ...
