[NBLUG/talk] The Romans' ban on zero

[augie]

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Steve Zimmerman wrote:
> I mean, why is division by zero banned, anyway?
> 0 / 0 = 1 and n / 0 = 0, where n != 0.  Is it not obvious that
> any nonzero real number divided by zero equals zero, because
> zero will go into that number zero times?

division by zero is not banned it is just an undefined number. the
reason that is, is as follows:

n/0=0, for n!=0; let us assume this is true, then the equation n=0*0,
for n!=0, must also be true. but 0*0=0 therefore the assumption is false.

0/0=1; let us assume this is true, then the equation 0=0*1 is also true.
which it is, however it is also true for any number, thus 0=0*n. and
0/0=n, where n is any number. therefore the equation 0/0 has an
undefined answer.

augie.


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