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Infinity
Infinity is that which is boundless, endless, or larger than any natural number. It is often denoted by the infinity symbol . Since the time of the ancient Greeks, the philosophical nature of infinity was the subject of many discussions among philosophers. In the 17th century, with the introduction of the infinity symbol and the infinitesimal calculus, mathematicians began to work with infinite series and what some mathematicians (including l'Hôpital and Bernoulli) regarded as infinitely small quantities, but infinity continued to be associated with endless processes. As mathematicians struggled with the foundation of calculus, it remained unclear whether infinity could be considered as a number or magnitude and, if so, how this could be done. At the end of the 19th century, Georg Cantor enlarged the mathematical study of infinity by studying infinite sets and infinite numbers, showing that they can be of various sizes. For example, if a line is viewed as the set of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Infinity (philosophy)
In philosophy and theology, infinity is explored in articles under headings such as the Absolute, God, and Zeno's paradoxes. In Greek philosophy, for example in Anaximander, 'the Boundless' is the origin of all that is. He took the beginning or first principle to be an endless, unlimited primordial mass (ἄπειρον, ''apeiron''). The Jain metaphysics and mathematics were the first to define and delineate different "types" of infinities. The work of the mathematician Georg Cantor first placed infinity into a coherent mathematical framework. Keenly aware of his departure from traditional wisdom, Cantor also presented a comprehensive historical and philosophical discussion of infinity. In Christian theology, for example in the work of Duns Scotus, the infinite nature of God invokes a sense of being without constraint, rather than a sense of being unlimited in quantity. Early thinking Egyptian Greek Anaximander An early engagement with the idea of infinity was made by Ana ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Infinity Symbol
The infinity symbol (\infty) is a mathematical symbol representing the concept of infinity. This symbol is also called a lemniscate, after the lemniscate curves of a similar shape studied in algebraic geometry, or "lazy eight", in the terminology of livestock branding. This symbol was first used mathematically by John Wallis in the 17th century, although it has a longer history of other uses. In mathematics, it often refers to infinite processes (potential infinity) rather than infinite values (actual infinity). It has other related technical meanings, such as the use of long-lasting paper in bookbinding, and has been used for its symbolic value of the infinite in modern mysticism and literature. It is a common element of graphic design, for instance in corporate logos as well as in older designs such as the Métis flag. Both the infinity symbol itself and several variations of the symbol are available in various character encodings. History The lemniscate has been a c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Axiom Of Infinity
In axiomatic set theory and the branches of mathematics and philosophy that use it, the axiom of infinity is one of the axioms of Zermelo–Fraenkel set theory. It guarantees the existence of at least one infinite set, namely a set containing the natural numbers. It was first published by Ernst Zermelo as part of his set theory in 1908.Zermelo: ''Untersuchungen über die Grundlagen der Mengenlehre'', 1907, in: Mathematische Annalen 65 (1908), 261-281; Axiom des Unendlichen p. 266f. Formal statement In the formal language of the Zermelo–Fraenkel axioms, the axiom reads: :\exists \mathbf \, ( \empty \in \mathbf \, \land \, \forall x \in \mathbf \, ( \, ( x \cup \ ) \in \mathbf ) ) . In words, there is a set I (the set which is postulated to be infinite), such that the empty set is in I, and such that whenever any ''x'' is a member of I, the set formed by taking the union of ''x'' with its singleton is also a member of I. Such a set is sometimes called an inductive set. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
