C:\> Monday, September 19, 2005

Favorite Numbers Not Divisible by 13

14

12

13.5

1,255

1

75

520

-13.5

41

6.02 X 10²³

22

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought your favorite number was 502 and not 520. Must be a typo ;-)

Hank said...

No, my favorite number is ten digits long and ends with "9699" ;-)

katiemoo said...

Here's the problem: "Divisible" is a comparison between two integers. Integer x is divisible by integer y if there is an integer z such that y times z equals x. If you get into non-integers, divisible no longer makes so much sense. If you're allowed to talk about rational numbers, then couldn't you say, why yes, 13.5 is divisible by 13, because 13 times the rational number 27/26 is 13.5. Well, yes. My point being, of course, that you need to better define your terms.

Hank said...

Katie, you mention terms but you let the 520 go by?! ;-P

katiemoo said...

Oh, you assume that I can actually divide. No, my friend, that kind of base arithmetic is far below me.

True story: today, in my very first discussion section for differential calculus, I did a sample problem, involving a limit I claimed does not exist. Then dude comes up to me afterward and is like, "the solution manual says it does exist, and is -1/16." Oops! But that's okay, because I am a revered grad student, and I can actually do no wrong.

Anonymous said...

Time to update, don't you think? Or do you?

--mysterious stranger

Hank said...

Happy Birthday, Anon!!! That will have to do, as I can't think of any update right now... ;-)