Infinity

[Potatoman]

Obviously, numbers are infinate. At what point would two marbles touch each other, assuming that all distances can always be halved? ( 0.1mm, 0.01, 0.001, 0.00000001 etc) Its a maths homework problem!

[Stav's Back]

Surely the point at which the two marbles touch would be 0mm. You cannot halve zero.

[ludwig]

I know what you mean but I'm not sure what the answer is. If they are moving together at a constant or accelerating speed they would inevitably touch. They only way they would never meet is if they were also decelerating at a rate which was directly proportional to the remaining distance between them.

[jenstar]

Your maths teacher appears to have a sense of humour. That sounds like a dangerous combination.

[OBonio]

Maybe it's a lesson in mathematical paradox. http://www.redpython.co.uk/Paradoxes/zeno_achilles_paradox.h tm

[OBonio]

Hm, that gives you the answer... Didn't mean to do that, sorry. Homework is supposed to be for you to answer, not us!

[pinus]

I think the question has got twisted. It certainly makes more sense to ask *when* the marbles will touch, following Zeno's paradox.

[Bernardw]

If the two items, marbles or whatever, moved closer to each other by half the distance between them each time, no matter haw far apart at the outset, it wouldn't be long before you were measuring the gap in microns. However, they would never meet but you would be unable to measure the gap! Try it on a calculator, then on a piece of paper when your calculator runs out of numbers. Enjoy your Maths lesson, and be grateful for a teacher with a sense of humour.