Comment on Kid gave a reasonable answer without all the math bullshit

• axEl7fB5@lemmy.cafe ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

  Tf you mean?? You can write it in a repeating decimal as 0.333… using ellipsis. wiki.froth.zone/wiki/Repeating_decimal

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  • Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    So you think

    0.333… + 0.333… + 0.333… = 1

    Is that clearer and more concise?

    Fractional representation is the method for rational numbers, particularly if they are part of an intermediate calculation.

    Decimals are lossy, fractions aren’t.

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    • axEl7fB5@lemmy.cafe ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

      No because you said this:

      If you want to precisely write to infinity you write 1/3.

      You can also precisely write to infinity if you write 0.333…

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      • Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

        The fraction 1/3 is a compact and unambiguous representation—it doesn’t rely on an ellipsis or an understanding of infinite series to be interpreted. It can easily be used in later calculations (you never see … notation in algebra). It is a useful notation.

        As soon as you use decimals in computer and human calculations, they become lossy.

        I’m not really sure what hill you are trying to die on. Fractions are useful, even if you don’t know how to use them.

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• Jamablaya@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

  well, no, it’s understood that a third is .333 to infinity, so .333+.333+.333 does equal 1 for any use not requiring precision to the point of it mattering that it was actually .33333335 when measured.

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  • Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    No. You wrote .333

    If you want to precisely write to infinity you write 1/3.

    actually .33333335

    Holy fuck. Where did that 5 come from?

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    • Jamablaya@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

      It came from it not being actually .333 to infinity when measured in the required engineering precision i was talking about. It’s literally a “common use” mathematical convention (you clearly are unaware of) that three times .333 is one. Solves a lot of problems due to a failure of the notation.

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      • Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

        3 times 0.333 is 0.999 not 1.

        Saying it equals 1 may be a common engineering convention, but it is mathematically incorrect.

        There is no failure of notation if fractions are used, which is why I gave this example of usefulness.

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