Re: History of Existance in MathMatical Proof ~ 899

Weatherwax wrote:

> I was hoping to find something interesting.  Such as
> 
> let  a = b
> then
>      a^2             =  ab
>      a^2 + a^2   =  a^2 + ab
>      2a^2           =  a^2 + ab
>      2a^2 - 2ab  =  a^2 + ab - 2ab
>      2a^2 - 2ab  =  a^2 - ab
>      2(a^2 - ab)  =  (a^2 - ab)
> 
> Now divide each side by (a^2 - ab) and you have:

...division by zero. Since a^2 is equal to ab (as show in step one) then 
a^2 - ab = 0, and division by zero is undefined. BITYKT. ;)

>      2  =  1
> 
> 
> I tried to present a proof involving square roots but it became
> too difficult.  Let's try it in words:
> 
> -1 / 1  =  1 / -1
> 
> now take the square root of both sides.
> 
> The square root of -1 is 

...not a number. ;)

> i.  The square root of 1 is 1.
> Therefore we have:
> 
> i / 1  =  1 / i
> 
> multiply both sides by i, and you have:
> 
> i^2 / 1  = i / i
> 
> i^2  is -1, and i / i is 1:
> 
> -1 / 1  =  1.
> 
> But  that is the same as:
> 
>  -1  =  1

:P I love flawed math. My professor at university would throw these types 
of zingers out once in a while for fun.

> A layman, a physicist, and a mathematician were eating lunch when
> they noticed two men enter a building which they assumed to be
> empty.  A few minutes later, three men walked out.
> 
> The layman said, "Our assumption was wrong.  The building was not
> empty."
> 
> The physicist said, "Our assumption was right, but we made a
> mistake in measurement."
> 
> The mathematician replied, "No, our measurements were correct.
> We just have to wait for someone to go into the building, and
> then it will be empty again.

LOL! I like it. :)

-- 
Pipe Major Darra MacPiarais - Death 'Piper Of the BAAWA
Lead Taste Tester - Wireless Cannibals, Inc. && Atheist #1142
"Well, what the hell can you do with a dead body?"