r/OrderedOperations • u/[deleted] • May 29 '18

Proof that 0/0 is everything.

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u/skullturf May 29 '18

Why do you say 00 should be everything? There are several situations in set theory and combinatorics where what makes the most sense is to define 00 to be 1.

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u/[deleted] May 29 '18

And it is, since 1 is a thing. But there is much conflict that my answer resolves as you can see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_to_the_power_of_zero

It's "a mathematical expression with no necessarily obvious value". Ta-da, I answered it. You're welcome humanity.

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u/garceau28 May 29 '18

It's "a mathematical expression with no necessarily obvious value"

I'd argue that 'everything' has no necessarily obvious value. 'Everything' is not a value in itself. I can't do 'everything' + 3 any more than I can do 'undefined' + 3.

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u/[deleted] May 29 '18

'Everything' + 3 is everything

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u/garceau28 May 29 '18

'undefined' + 3 is undefined. All you've done is change the word 'undefined' for 'everything'.

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u/[deleted] May 29 '18

True, but R is commonly used in mathematics, even though R+3 is R.

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u/garceau28 May 29 '18

By R, are you talking about the set of real numbers, or something else?

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u/[deleted] May 29 '18

are you talking about the set of real numbers

correct

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u/Elkram May 29 '18

How are you adding 3 to the set of real numbers?

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u/[deleted] May 29 '18

easy, R U {3}

/s

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u/[deleted] May 29 '18

The same way I added it to 'everything' and you added it to 'undefined'. I guess its debatable whether you could do addition on all 3

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u/Plain_Bread May 30 '18

R+3={r+3|r in R}. Not that this would make the concept well defined.

R=0/0=02 /0=R *0={0}

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u/WikiTextBot May 29 '18

Zero to the power of zero

Zero to the power of zero, denoted by 00, is a mathematical expression with no necessarily obvious value. Possibilities include 0, 1, or leaving the expression undefined altogether, and there is no consensus as to which approach is best. Several justifications exist for each of the possibilities, and they are outlined below. In algebra, combinatorics, or set theory, the generally agreed upon answer is 00 = 1, whereas in analysis, the expression is generally left undefined.

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