Comments on: Counterintuitive Maths: Part Two http://www.divisiblebypi.com/2010/03/12/counterintuitive-maths-part-two/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed An academic atheist sells emu month. Sat, 20 Aug 2011 14:08:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Counterintuitive Maths: Part Two | Young Australian Skeptics http://www.divisiblebypi.com/2010/03/12/counterintuitive-maths-part-two/comment-page-1/#comment-41 Counterintuitive Maths: Part Two | Young Australian Skeptics Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:37:17 +0000 http://www.divisiblebypi.com/?p=169#comment-41 [...] Cross posted from Divisible By Pi. [...] [...] Cross posted from Divisible By Pi. [...]

]]> By: Susan B. http://www.divisiblebypi.com/2010/03/12/counterintuitive-maths-part-two/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Susan B. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:08:55 +0000 http://www.divisiblebypi.com/?p=169#comment-34 Thanks for bringing this up--it's even better than the Monty Hall problem as a tool for generating discussion. I've always found the controversy fascinating, especially the strange ways the "not equal" crowd contrive for proving their side. It makes an excellent example for why we need rigor in mathematics. I'm currently teaching Calc II (for the first time) and you've given me a good idea--we'll be starting sequences and series in a few weeks. Maybe I'll bring up the question of whether 0.999… = 1 and let the class have at it, then return to the question a few classes later when we cover geometric series. Thanks for bringing this up–it’s even better than the Monty Hall problem as a tool for generating discussion. I’ve always found the controversy fascinating, especially the strange ways the “not equal” crowd contrive for proving their side. It makes an excellent example for why we need rigor in mathematics.

I’m currently teaching Calc II (for the first time) and you’ve given me a good idea–we’ll be starting sequences and series in a few weeks. Maybe I’ll bring up the question of whether 0.999… = 1 and let the class have at it, then return to the question a few classes later when we cover geometric series.

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