I just followed Hacker News down a rabbit hole which started out as "Most Earth system models are missing element..." then found a link on that page attempting to explain why "Dividing by Zero is a Bad Idea"...and it proceeds to examine various mathematical proofs to prove why not, except one.
Mathematics has always been and will always be, a language that describes relationships and how those relatioships change values with respect to any change in any single one of those elements. That's why some people like word math problems better than abstract problems, and vice versa.
Me, I like both. So permit me to translate into English what math symbols say about the relationship to a numerator that a zero denominator has:
The numerator is divided by nothing so therefore the numerator isn't divided, therefore the numerator remains itself.
x/x = x/0
...because x isn't divided when divided by zero.
https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/why-division-by-zero-is-a-bad-idea/
...and now y'all can muddle over whether x/1 = x is legit, huh. From what I just said, the mistake I made was saying x/x when I should have said x/1, so yeah, I'm just now catching that...and Mastodon software does not allow a person to edit a post. @Mary625 , that's the problem you ran into in your thread about ads.
You're forced to delete then repost so all your replies get lost when you attempt to make a correction...or you're forced to let the error stand and you're forced to take all the @s at you.
CORRECTION: x/1 = x/0
@ClaraListensprechen4 G'night. Tomorrow let's talk about the subtle but near universal misinterpretation of Newton's First Law.
@redrummy
Oh by all means. I'd like to hear your take on Newton's First Law, while keeping in mind just how old it is.
I'd further like to point out that I could have deleted my toot and rephrased it to make the correction, but there are struggling math students out there who believe that math is beyond them because they don't get the correct answer the first time, and it's because of simple mistakes like that, and they happen to everybody.
Another lesson for them is that you can't leave math lessons to the last minute because cramming with a last-ditch overnighter will NEVER work.
1. Math is a line of reasoning that is picked up by not skipping any steps in the progression of lessons
2. Even if you think you suck at math, the important thing to learn is to check your work BEFORE you hand it in (or hit SEND).
3. "Critical thinking" begins in the arithmetic class because you're always checking your own work.
@ClaraListensprechen4 I was mostly just having fun, but I did read this yesterday: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mistranslation-of-newtons-first-law-discovered-after-nearly-300-years1/
@redrummy
Ooooh, I like that one, and it's pertinent to a separate discussion I was having about the false notion that science cannot "prove a negative". It's a lovely hair it's splitting. Thanks!
The lesson to take away from this muff is this: even if you try to do basic arithmetic this close to your local midnight hour, your brain will betray you because it has already turned into a pumpkin. G'night!