2 years, 3 months ago
Infinity has blown my mind. Is it just an item for discussion or are all the me's asking the same question?
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M$1 Answer
Is infinity real? Good question. It is certainly a concept in mathematics.
The symbol for infinity is the figure 8. The reason for this is a fascinating puzzle called the Moebius strip, a three-dimensional figure that has only one side.
You can make a Moebius strip easily:
Cut a long, narrow strip of paper. Try about 12 inches by 2 inches.
Put a half twist in one end of the strip. Tape it to the other end. You have a Moebius strip - a symbol of infinity and an endless piece of paper.
To prove this, take a pen. Make an X at a point on the paper. Then draw a line down the middle of the paper. When you get back to the X, you will find that you didn't need to pick up the pen at all. The paper is endless.
For extra fun, cut down the line you drew with a pair of scissors. If you cut in the center of the paper, you will end up with a larger Moebius strip. If you cut down the paper about one-third of the way from one edge, you will have a surprise.
The symbol for infinity is the figure 8. The reason for this is a fascinating puzzle called the Moebius strip, a three-dimensional figure that has only one side.
You can make a Moebius strip easily:
Cut a long, narrow strip of paper. Try about 12 inches by 2 inches.
Put a half twist in one end of the strip. Tape it to the other end. You have a Moebius strip - a symbol of infinity and an endless piece of paper.
To prove this, take a pen. Make an X at a point on the paper. Then draw a line down the middle of the paper. When you get back to the X, you will find that you didn't need to pick up the pen at all. The paper is endless.
For extra fun, cut down the line you drew with a pair of scissors. If you cut in the center of the paper, you will end up with a larger Moebius strip. If you cut down the paper about one-third of the way from one edge, you will have a surprise.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
NBA...Good comment @mielu_istetz
The infinity symbol didn't appear because of the Moebius strip
Though I agree you can symbolize the Moebius strip with infinity as this teacher does:
http://www.ehow.co.uk/video_4977259_where-does-mathematical-sign-infinity.html
John Wallis introduced the symbol in 1655.
quote The symbol itself is properly called a lemniscus, a latin noun which means "pendant ribbon" and was first used in 1694 by Jacob Bernoulli (1654-1705) to describe a planar curve now called the Lemniscate of Bernoulli. end quote
http://home.att.net/~numericana/answer/symbol.htm#infinity