Dragaera

Re: Favorite NON-fiction  

Mon Jan 27 13:31:31 PST 2003

On Monday, January 27, 2003, at 04:29 PM, Michael Barr wrote:

> Ok, here is one in math.  The proof of the chain rule in nearly all
> calculus books is wrong.  The funny thing is that a correct proof is 
> not
> especially harder than the incorrect proof.  There are cases where we 
> tell
> lies because the truth is too complicated.  Here's one: it is assumed 
> that
> you can add and multiply infinite decimals and the truth is that you 
> can,
> but the rules are so complicated that they are hard to describe.  
> Think,
> for example, how to double .555555555555.... (unless you say that 5/9 +
> 5/9 = 10/9 = 1.111111111...., in which case I will give you a number in
> which 5s and 6s appear at random).  Most of the lies would be too
> complicated to describe here.

Hear that? that's my brain exploding ;-)