Math Joke..:-)
Posted : May 23, 2004 at 12:04 am [America/Los_Angeles]
[via Joi Ito]
Somehow I had missed this one. It sure cracked me up 
Calculus. Hmm..it sure brings back some interesting memories.
- Anand
Category: Other stuff
Viewed: 822 times
3 Comments
Very funny, but isn’t the result of the first equation minus infinity?
Posted by: Christian Holm at May 23, 2004 @ 5:18 am
Good catch Christian. It’s been a while, but it sure looks like it.
I guess the author of the joke could have made the joke somewhat simpler by using 1/x or maybe even 1/|x-8|.
But then again, it’s just a joke..:-)
Posted by: Anand Sharma at May 23, 2004 @ 9:18 am
Ok, so here’s one more thought:
1/(x-8) where x -> 8 would be minus infinity if you thought that x was tending to 8 from the lower side (7.9999999 to 8.0). But, it could just as easily be from the other side (8.0000000… to 8.0). In which case, 1/(x-8) would tend to positive infinity.
Ok, I know this is nuts. But then again, it’s a Sunday and I really have nothing better to do (yet)..;-)
Posted by: Anand Sharma at May 23, 2004 @ 9:55 am