Decimal fractions and the numer 1

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In summary, the conversation revolved around the concept of time and its relationship to mathematics and numbers. The idea of a start to time was debated, with some questioning how the first instant or time unit "gets started". Others believed that time is quantitative and the shortest amount of time possible is approximately 1^-43 second. The concept of decimalization and its effect on stock markets was also briefly discussed. Overall, the conversation delved into the complexities of understanding time and its connection to numbers.
  • #1
timejim
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Decimal fractions and the number 1

I have wondered about this question. I know it may seem simplistic but maybe someone can explain to me how it occurs. Also, maybe there is a relationship between Mathematics and the concept of TIME.
At the very beginning of TIME, before you get to the first second of existence, you had the start of the first second, for example, let's start at 0.00000001> second. Now, since this number could go on and on indefinitely, how would you ever get to the very first second of TIME? Or, is there some law of mathematics that would jump to the 1 second count because TIME requires that the number stop going to infinitum and proceed to the first (1) second? I have always wondered about this.
 
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  • #2
To me, the passage of time and representation of numbers are two completely different things. In other words time goes on irrespective of how one writes numbers, and number representations do not effect the passage of time. What is the problem?
 
  • #3
your concept seems to have similarity to zeno paradoxes of motion and time.
 
  • #4
numbers, fractions, time

Seems to me that the idea of a start to time is quite paradoxical enough on its own without having to worry about how the first instant or time unit "gets started".

I suppose those loopy-string people are hoping the idea of a start to time is just going to drop out of the equations somehow [very good luck to them, might work] but even if they do, the idea of before-time is a bit mind-boggling from our apparently time-bound perspective, isn't it?
 
  • #5
Actually what everyone is hoping for is that whichever theory finally works, it will eliminate the singularity at t=0. It will probably also eliminate the continuum on which the Zeno type argument is made. If spacetime points are just "excitations" of some kind from some yet-to-be-discovered underlying stratum, then a convergent point set will be the least of our conceptual worries.
 
  • #6
continuum, singularity

Hear, hear, SelfAdjoint!

I think we agree roughly, only you understand the issue in rather more detail than I do.

.
 
  • #7
Many believe that time is quantitative, and that the shortest amount of time possible is approx 1^-43 second, aka Planck time.
 
  • #8
decimal fractions, time etc

Slight digression, but no-one here has been following the effect of decimalisation of price quoting on American stock exchanges the last couple of years by any chance?

My hunch at the time, and the industry consensus now, was that the increased number of quotable fractions would actually cost customers more not less.

Anyone following that odd example of numbering affecting the underlying reality?

.
 
  • #9
The number 1 collapsing into zero quantity cannot be considered infinite because the end result(zero) is being premptively defined and thus has limits with respect to "1"
 
  • #10


Originally posted by timejim

The universe did not begin to exist, it was.
 

What is a decimal fraction?

A decimal fraction is a number that has a decimal point, indicating a fraction of a whole number. For example, in the number 1.5, the decimal point separates the number 1 from the fraction 0.5, which represents half of a whole number.

How can decimal fractions be represented?

Decimal fractions can be represented in various ways, including as a decimal number, a fraction, or a percentage. For example, the decimal fraction 0.75 can be written as 3/4 or 75%.

What is the significance of the number 1 in decimal fractions?

The number 1 is significant in decimal fractions because it represents a whole number or a unit. In decimal form, 1 is written as 1.0, indicating that there are no fractions or parts of a whole.

How do you convert a decimal fraction to a percentage?

To convert a decimal fraction to a percentage, multiply the decimal by 100. For example, to convert 0.5 to a percentage, you would multiply 0.5 by 100, resulting in 50%.

What is the relationship between decimal fractions and place value?

Place value is the value assigned to a digit based on its position in a number. In decimal fractions, the place value of a digit to the right of the decimal point decreases by a factor of 10 for each position. For example, in the number 0.123, the 1 represents one-tenth, the 2 represents one-hundredth, and the 3 represents one-thousandth.

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