Guest guest Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 AT LAST!!! Mathematical proof I ALWAYS suspected: Let a=1 Let b=1 Therefore a=b Multiplying both sides by a gives a2=ab Subtract 1 from the left and b (which equals 1) from the right: a2-1=ab-b If you remember your quadratic equations, this factors to: (a+1)(a-1)=b(a-1) Dividing both sides by a-1, we have a+1=b, or 1+1=1 Therefore 2=1 Those of you more deeply involved with theory and application of "pure math" may have some helpful commentary....though I suspect a fallacy in the quadratic reduction, my algebra skills are long dormant... J. Pedersen DC Investigations Squad, Science Gone Amok Department Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 Ah, Jack: Division by " 0 " is a perilous misadventure to be tested only by wizards and fools. Art J. Pedersen DC wrote: > AT LAST!!! Mathematical proof I ALWAYS suspected: > > > Let /a/=1 > > Let /b/=1 > > Therefore /a=b/ > > Multiplying both sides by /a/ gives /a^2 =ab/ > > Subtract 1 from the left and /b/ (which equals 1) from the right: > /a^2 -1=ab-b/ > > If you remember your quadratic equations, this factors to: > (/a/+1)(/a/-1)=/b/(/a/-1) > > Dividing both sides by /a-/1, we have /a/+1=/b/, or 1+1=1 > > Therefore 2=1 > > Those of you more deeply involved with theory and application of > " pure math " may have some helpful commentary....though I suspect a > fallacy in the quadratic reduction, my algebra skills are long > dormant... > > J. Pedersen DC > > Investigations Squad, Science Gone Amok Department > > > > > > > > OregonDCs rules: > 1. Keep correspondence professional; the purpose of the listserve is > to foster communication and collegiality. No personal attacks on > listserve members will be tolerated. > 2. Always sign your e-mails with your first and last name. > 3. The listserve is not secure; your e-mail could end up anywhere. > However, it is against the rules of the listserve to copy, print, > forward, or otherwise distribute correspondence written by another > member without his or her consent, unless all personal identifiers > have been removed. > > > * Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 The problem is that given both a and b = 0 you can't divide by a - 1 because you would be dividing into 0 (both (a+1)(a-1) and b(a-1) are equal to 0, so the proof holds true through this step). The proof fails at the next step because you don't end up with a real number. The proof is only true if a and b are >1. OT: math and the proof thereof.... AT LAST!!! Mathematical proof I ALWAYS suspected: Let a=1 Let b=1 Therefore a=b Multiplying both sides by a gives a2=ab Subtract 1 from the left and b (which equals 1) from the right: a2-1=ab-b If you remember your quadratic equations, this factors to: (a+1)(a-1)=b(a-1) Dividing both sides by a-1, we have a+1=b, or 1+1=1 Therefore 2=1 Those of you more deeply involved with theory and application of "pure math" may have some helpful commentary....though I suspect a fallacy in the quadratic reduction, my algebra skills are long dormant... J. Pedersen DC Investigations Squad, Science Gone Amok Department OregonDCs rules:1. Keep correspondence professional; the purpose of the listserve is to foster communication and collegiality. No personal attacks on listserve members will be tolerated.2. Always sign your e-mails with your first and last name.3. The listserve is not secure; your e-mail could end up anywhere. However, it is against the rules of the listserve to copy, print, forward, or otherwise distribute correspondence written by another member without his or her consent, unless all personal identifiers have been removed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 14, 2004 Report Share Posted July 14, 2004 If one guy can build a house in a year; 12 guys can build it in a month; 365 guys can build it in a day; 8760 guys can build a house in an hour! Therefore, If a person is killed when struck by a car going 60 mph. a person is moderately injured when struck by a car going 40 mph. a person will be mildly injured when struck by a car going 20 mph. a person will be uninjured when struck by a car going 10 mph. and a person will actually be healthier when struck by a car going less than 5 mph. -Allstate Insurance Actuarial Files. My older brothers used to ask a riddle: If you were paddling down the street in a chicken wire canoe, and you lost your spare tire, how many days would it take to shingle your roof with pancakes? Answer: Five; because there are no bones in ice cream (or bananas) and no doors on motorcycles. Then they would look knowingly at one another and laugh, leaving me to think I missed the joke. E. Abrahamson, D.C. Chiropractic physician Lake Oswego Chiropractic Clinic 315 Second Street Lake Oswego, OR 97034 503-635-6246 drscott@... or info@... From: " Dr. Freeman " <drmfreeman@...> Reply- " Dr. Freeman " <drmfreeman@...> Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2004 10:45:00 -0700 (GMT-07:00) Subject: Re: OT: math and the proof thereof.... The problem is that given both a and b = 0 you can't divide by a - 1 because you would be dividing into 0 (both (a+1)(a-1) and b(a-1) are equal to 0, so the proof holds true through this step). The proof fails at the next step because you don't end up with a real number. The proof is only true if a and b are >1. OT: math and the proof thereof.... AT LAST!!! Mathematical proof I ALWAYS suspected: Let a=1 Let b=1 Therefore a=b Multiplying both sides by a gives a2=ab Subtract 1 from the left and b (which equals 1) from the right: a2-1=ab-b If you remember your quadratic equations, this factors to: (a+1)(a-1)=b(a-1) Dividing both sides by a-1, we have a+1=b, or 1+1=1 Therefore 2=1 Those of you more deeply involved with theory and application of " pure math " may have some helpful commentary....though I suspect a fallacy in the quadratic reduction, my algebra skills are long dormant... J. Pedersen DC Investigations Squad, Science Gone Amok Department OregonDCs rules: 1. Keep correspondence professional; the purpose of the listserve is to foster communication and collegiality. No personal attacks on listserve members will be tolerated. 2. Always sign your e-mails with your first and last name. 3. The listserve is not secure; your e-mail could end up anywhere. However, it is against the rules of the listserve to copy, print, forward, or otherwise distribute correspondence written by another member without his or her consent, unless all personal identifiers have been removed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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