Children ask the pelvis: how much is endlessly minus endlessly?

We want to know from the children what questions they are busy with. We answer one week. This question comes from Theo, 7 years old.

Dear Theo, this is an infinitely good question. Because, unlike usually in mathematics, she has an endless number of answers. Or not at all. Therefore, you are not the first to look for the answer.

The Internet is almost an infinite number of explanations. Sometimes there is an argument with apples and pears, sometimes with straight and odd numbers to make arithmetic with an unimaginable number. But I find the explanation of Thomas Kale best. He is a professor of Algebra at the University of Otto von Gerike in Magdeburg and speaks in his own space of the Podcast magazine The spectrum of science About mathematicsField You can assume that this is serious, so this is true. His answer to your question explains Thomas Kale with something, that you know very well: with sticky bears!

In fact, you think that endlessly the minus is infinitely zero. Like 1 minus 1. Or 2 minus 2. Or 10,000 minus 10,000. But a crazy thing: with an endless minus endlessly, it can be so, but it should not. Imagine, says Thomas Kale, you have an infinite number of sticky bears. It would be great, right? If you always put one of the bears in the mouth from time to time, then put one for later, and if you repeat it endlessly, do you have something? Exactly: endless abdominal pain. But, of course, the professor of mathematics does not speak. Something is still important for this: you ate an infinite number of sticky bears, that is, recalled from the infinite. But at the same time, place an infinite number. So this means: endlessly the minus is endless. Really?

In this case, yes. But if you put only 2 sticky bear on the side at the beginning, and then eat all the others, so an endless amount, then you still put them aside. And endlessly minus and endless will be 2.

Crazy? Yes. But then a friendly professor explains that using an account you can endlessly minus minus, that 0 – 0 or 5, or 1000. And that your head smokes when you think about it. Because you do not get instead of an answer. Or an infinite number. Great, right?

Do you already know the Googolplex number? This is not even endless, but so large that Googolplex is not suitable for sticky bears on Earth. Mathematics can be very sweet! Gereon Asmouth

Each can read the basin: r

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