Intripita-MH

IMO, .99999999... cannot equal 1.

Some people say it can, but think: no matter how far you stretch those 9s repeatingly, it just never does get to 1.

Some say it can through the I-think-twisted-logic of:

x = .999999999999 (assume it repeats)
10x = 9.999999999
9x = 9
solve for x,
x = 1

So, .999999 = 1?

No.

Because x/x MUST equal 1. Type .9999999/1 or 1/.9999999 into a calculator and it will never come out to be 1. (Unless your calculator rounds.)

What do you think?

.chulium.

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Katey

Hi there,

I know it is impossible. The more 9's you add on the more .0's you add on to the remainder. Impossible...simply ad .


Regards,
Kieran Taylor.

jumpenjuhosaphat

The problem with your problem there is that 9x does not = 9, 9x=8.999999991
So solve for x?
x =.9999999999

Who ever showed you that problem mis-led you to make you believe that .9999 with a billion decimal places is equal to 1, but if that were true, then why write .99 at all? And at what point does it become 1? After 2 decimal places? Or maybe 5?

IMO, .99999999999999999 with a billion 9's still doesn't equal 1.

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Intripita-MH

I already figured this out, but failed to mention it in my post.

(Your calculator put a 1 at the end because it cannot comprehend infinity. Take the one out and pretend the 9's repeat.)

So yes, there are many flaws to the above problem that I showed.

Another one that I was shown was:

1/3 = .3333~

1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 = 3/3 = 1

BUT:

.3333~ + .3333~ + .3333~ = .9999~

So does .9999~ = 1, again? No.

In decimal form, that is called an approximation, no matter how infinite the 3's go. In fraction form, it is called exact form, where there IS no approximation.

Simply said, .999~ only ROUNDS UP to 1.

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jumpenjuhosaphat

Actually, the calculator placed the 1 there because that is the exact answer.

Do it like this.
x = .9999
x10 = 9.999 (only 3 nines after the decimal)
so x9 would equal .9999 * 9 or 8.9991 or 9.999 - .9999
Thats a definate answer, not infinate. But I get what you are saying. 1/3 cannot be descripbed with 100% accuracy using the decimal system, so we round it to .33333333 or even just .33

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