lvc@cbscd5.UUCP (09/14/83)
The error in my 'proof' of -1 = 1 has to do with a wierd property of complex numbers. Here is the 'proof' again. -1 = -1 => -1/1 = 1/-1 => sqrt(-1/1) = sqrt(1/-1) => (?) sqrt(-1)/sqrt(1) = sqrt(1)/sqrt(-1) => sqrt(-1)*sqrt(-1) = sqrt(1)*sqrt(1) => -1 = 1 The problem is that sqrt(1/-1) =/= sqrt(1)/sqrt(-1). sqrt(1/-1) is i, and sqrt(1)/sqrt(-1) is -i. 1/i = -i, not i. The first time I saw this in 10th grade I was pretty shocked. It seems that a lot of computer science people are getting hung up over the fact that I said sqrt(). There is no other convenient way to express the mathematicians function of square root (whose domain extends to all real numbers, and complex as well) on a terminal. Sorry for the confusion. Anyone figure out the error in the calculus 'proof' that 2 = 1 yet ? Larry Cipriani cbosgd!cbscd5!lvc