answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

Answer: Infinity isn't exactly anything. When one speaks of infinity, they are referring to an ultimate, i.e. infinitely large is the largest, infinitely small is the smallest, continuing to infinity is never ending, etc. There is no real way to conceptualize infinity since by the mere fact that by thinking of something as being, say, infinitely big, I can immediately think of something bigger by adding one to it, therefore that initial thing wasn't infinitely big to begin with.

The way I conceptualize infinity is in the following way. If there is a finite probability that an event can happen, say the classic monkey writing Shakespeare thought experiment, then given an infinite amount of time, that event will happen, not might happen, but will happen. If that monkey has a 1 in 1010000000000000 chance of replicating Shakespeare, then not only will that monkey do it if you give it an infinite amount of time, it will do it an infinite number of times.

Answer: Since you put the question in math (or accepted the suggested category): In Math, infinity has different meanings in different context.

In set theory, it means, informally, that if you count the elements of a set, you will never reach an end. Formally, infinity can be defined in different ways; for example, an infinite set is one that can be put into a one-to-one correspondence with one of its proper subsets. (It has proper subsets that are "just as big" as the entire set.)

In calculus, it means that an amount has a tendency to go beyond any fixed limit. You might also use the word "unbounded" in this context.

All in all, infinity is not a number. It's a term meaning 'going on and on'.

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: What exactly is infinity?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

What is PI exactly equal to?

3.14159265 ............ then possibly to infinity It's never been worked out exactly.


What does infinity drago look like?

It looks exactly like ultimate drago but has the infinity core on its chest and has 1000 g's.


Is infinity plus one the largest number in the world?

Not exactly. Infinity means that the number goes on forever so you really can't add one to it.


What is the the biggest number which is exactly divisible by all the numbers from 1-12?

13


Which is the largest number to have a name (example - 100 Hundred)?

It is infinity which can't be exactly determined.


What is 1.666666666 as a fraction?

The number 1.666666666 is almost exactly equal to one and two thirds (to be exactly equal, the decimal expansion continues to infinity) which as a fraction could be written as 5/3.


What is infinity plus infinity?

infinity


Is it correct to use the preposition in before infinity?

Exactly what words you may wish to use in combination with the word infinity, will depend upon what you are trying to say. It would be grammatically acceptable to say something such as "I believe in infinity" although the meaning would be somewhat ambiguous. In most contexts, you would be more likely to use the word to, rather than in. For example, this series of numbers adds up to infinity.


What is the answer of infinity divided by infinity?

1 one infinity divided by infinity


What is infinity raised to the power infinity?

Infinity.


What is negative infinity plus negative infinity?

Negative infinity plus negative infinity equals negative infinity.


If an infinity of time existed before your birth and an infinity of time will exist after your death is that twice as much infinity?

No, infinity is not measurable, so infinity plus infinity is just the same as infinity.