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  #11  
Old 10-29-2005, 12:42 AM
willthethrill willthethrill is offline
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Default Re: Something I\'ve always wondered (universe)...

i agree - sit back and enjoy the ride
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  #12  
Old 10-29-2005, 08:29 PM
the machine the machine is offline
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Default Re: Something I\'ve always wondered (universe)...

"I know some people are going to argue that infinity does exist, but I don't believe it can. In theory sure, but in the physical world"

the concept of infinity is just that, it is a concept not an actual point that is attainable. The problem with infinity is that since it is unattainable but we say we know its there people dont understand it and doubt its physical presence. Now obviously you havent seen infinity but it is very easy to prove that it exists. To show it you show the proof of infinite primes.

Lemma 1. For every n, for every set of n natural numbers, there is a
prime not in that set.

Proof. Let k1,...,kn be the n numbers in question. Consider
(k1*...*kn)+1. If (k1*...*kn)+1 is prime, we are done, since
(k1*...*kn)+1 is greater than, hence distinct from, each ki. If
(k1*...*kn)+1 is not prime, then it has a prime factor. Let such a
factor be p. p cannot be any ki, since if it were it would leave
remainder 1 when divided into (k1*...*kn)+1.

Lemma 2. For every n, there is some prime > n.

Proof. Consider n!+1. If n!+1 is prime, we are done, since n!+1>n. But
if n!+1 is not prime, then it has a prime factor. Let such a factor be
p. p cannot be less than or equal to n, since if it were it would
leave remainder 1 when divided into n!+l. So p>n.

Theorem. For every prime p, there is some prime > p

Taken from: http://www.cs.nyu.edu/pipermail/fom/...er/000346.html

This leads to an even crazier idea about God. In talking with my college professors about this idea of infinity, religion always comes up and we see that the idea of grasping the unatainable such as infinity is like trying to understand God. Mathematicians call it infinity and theologists call it God. I myself am agnostic but i think infinity is the closest thing there can be to a God which is why I am agnostic. The religion aspect of this is just an idea of mine about infinity and the relationship to "God". My main point is that in our real world we do see that infinity exists. I guess some may argue with me by saying that a number isnt a physical thing it is a representaion and in which case I have no more help for you. But i hope this made the idea of infinity more clear for some and take what you will from it.
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  #13  
Old 10-30-2005, 12:47 PM
the machine the machine is offline
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Default Re: Something I\'ve always wondered (universe)...

over a few well deserved cocktails i began to think about my post and realized what i said was wrong and i contradicted myself. From the proof we see that infinity "can" exist but not necessarily that it does. For it to exist i think you have to step out of the dimension of time. I think we have to understand when time started to know if an infinity is actually possible. We see only that it can exist not that it "physically" does which is what i wanted to repost.
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