askvity

What is 1 divided by Infinity called?

Published in Mathematics 1 min read

1 divided by infinity is mathematically considered to approach zero, although in some contexts, the expression is undefined.

While "infinity" isn't a number you can directly divide by, we can explore the concept of what happens as a denominator grows infinitely large.

  • The Concept of a Limit: In calculus, we often discuss limits. The limit of 1/x as x approaches infinity is 0. This means as x gets larger and larger without bound, 1/x gets closer and closer to 0.

  • Mathematical Notation: We can express this mathematically as: lim (x→∞) 1/x = 0

  • Why Not Just Zero? The distinction is that 1/x never actually equals zero, only gets infinitesimally close.

  • Undefined in Some Contexts: In standard arithmetic, division by infinity is undefined. Infinity is a concept, not a concrete number, so the usual rules of arithmetic don't directly apply.

In simpler terms, imagine dividing a pie into more and more slices. As you cut the pie into an infinite number of slices, each slice becomes infinitely small, approaching zero size.

Related Articles