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Nullity?
This section is probably the only place with a higher intellect on the board. For all of you higher eduction/math lovers....
You can now divide by zero. It was done by creating a new number that stretches the spectrum from -infinity to 0 to +infinity.
Has anyone else heard about this or even considered it?
| quote: | Zero = a maths hero
Dr James Anderson
Movie maths geniuses in The Beautiful Mind, Pi and Good Will Hunting have nothing on University of Reading lecturer Dr James Anderson.
Reading folk can now sleep easy at night as the top boffin has solved one of arithmetic’s most troublesome conundrums – the problem of nothing.
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Even the mighty computer has failed to master the difficult sum – try it on your calculator and you will be met with the message “error”.
But now Dr Anderson, from the uni’s computer science department, has worked out how to divide by zero by inventing a new number called “nullity”.
Using pencil and paper he has worked out how to do it – something we all know previously has only been done using advanced algebra.
The number nullity sits outside the conventional number line which stretches from negative infinity, through zero, to positive infinity.
It means all sorts of “impossible” sums, previously only considered in advanced algebraic theory, are in fact possible.
Dr Anderson said: “Every computer in the world makes some kind of error when it divides by zero.
“Programmers try to work around this by adding an extra code to do something else in these cases, but they have no overall theory to guide them and if any programmer forgets a test, or treats division by zero differently from his fellow programmers the program they are working on will fail.
“Being able to divide by zero is very, very important.”
Dr Anderson is not the only mathematician to consider the problems of zero. The Egyptians spent ages trying to decipher equations relating to it.
The clever lecturer was noticed when he discussed his theory with pupils at Highdown School in Emmer Green.
Pupil Sean Coffey, 15, told the Evening Post yesterday: “He told us about this new number called nullity which is zero divided by zero. We made notes about it. It’s confusing but kind of made sense.
It’s new stuff that’s never been done before.”
Fellow Year 10 student Suzi Watkins, 15, added: “It was quite interesting because we’d never heard of anything like it. But it’s a bit odd creating a new number.
“He gave us this new number called nullity. It meant zero divided by zero equals nullity. It’s useful because it means you can work out things that you couldn’t before.”
Dr Anderson said he was very pleased to have helped advanced maths and hit back at critics of his theory.
Dr Anderson, who says his theory has been backed up by academics from the University of Essex, is adamant there is good ground for it.
“Many people have not read my papers by and large and the responses they give are false. I argue my system is clear and simple,” Dr Anderson said.” |
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Don't divide by zero!!!! 
U's can sa e dat agin brudda...!
