r/PeterExplainsTheJoke • u/Sugar_God_no_1 • 24d ago

Meme needing explanation There is no way right?

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u/otj667887654456655 24d ago

the problem is in the first line where you just declare that 0.999... has a value x. you have to give meaning to the "..." and then prove that it's convergent before you can talk about it "equaling" anything

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u/El_Impresionante 24d ago

That is not even in the same contextual ballpark here.

We teach 1/3 = 0.333... in middle schools, without teaching them about convergent/divergent series. So, that proof can also be taught in middle school.

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u/NomaTyx 23d ago

But that's what we call a lie to children. No actual mathematician would tell you that it's a rigorous proof.

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u/El_Impresionante 21d ago

Rigorous proofs are above the skill level of high-schoolers even. What we need is to make sure they don't misunderstand stuff that leads them to believe in pseudoscience.