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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
In regards to something I recently posted, to wit:
"And to the mathematician we have learned ".99999999.... = 0"...with some of us
'getting' it and others.........."
May I please state that I was in no way trying to be offensive here to the 'other' group. The matter of infinity has been very interesting to read here on the board. Sure, it's a 'word' board, but our linguistic management of conveying mathematical understanding among ourselves is interesting to many of us here.
However, a member of the board has indicated to me that I have been out-of-line in how I expressed the above, and I would like to set the record straight, for I meant no offense. When I set up the dichotomy between those who agree with the .99999..... = 1 slant of looking at things that Emanuela first showed us (I'm pretty sure it was Emanuela) and those who disagreed with that slant, I in no way meant that those who disagreed were unenlightened or anything along those lines. All I meant was there were those of us who saw and even agreed with Emanuela and those who continued to disagree for good reasons as I read them. The long set of ellipses...................after my statement was indicating that the argument could go on into infinity.
Anyway, my sincere apologies if you believed I was being rude, out-of-line, insulting or anything along those lines. If anything, I was making a quick bit of humor, but often humor is taken for insult.
Again, my apologies,
WW
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624 |
Doubledub, weren't you precise enough for the mathematician, then? I didn't see anything insulting or off-colour or otherwise reprehensible about that post.
- Pfranz
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
Everything's fine, Pfranz. It was just a misunderstanding in phrasing.
I want to go on record again saying that I am thrilled that we do talk about math here on the board. It's one of the purest of languages and it is flat terrific receiving the explanations of those who are in the field to help those of us who are not weave our way through often unclear language. I, for one, have been inspired to put several math courses at the top of my list for study upon retirement from teaching in a few years.
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
WW, you are one of the kindest, gentlest people posting here. But as we all know, this is not a totally adequate medium, although we enjoy it tremendously for what it is. Nuance can be lost, and some folks will overreact to posts [I know from experience, on both ends]. Please don't worry about it any more.  PS I am one of those who don't *get it. [shrug] I'm fine with that.
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
All's well, AnnaS. Thanks for the sentiment.
Me? I'm still caught in the web of going back and forth between the possible meaning of .99999..... = 1 This is a topic I would not dare bring up at the lunch table among colleagues. They would spit me back into the music room. Thank heavens there is this place that we can at least discuss such a revelation--at least for those of us here who like thinking about such considerations.
I said it when I joined the board and I'll say it now:
I am grateful that there is such a group of people as you.
It's a relief to know I don't think like this alone in a void.
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 171
member
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member
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 171 |
"...sports broadcasters now refer to the catching of a ball intended for the player on the other team as a "pick."
Pick is a very utilitarian word in American sports. In addition to the "pick off" mentioned above, in basketball we have "setting a pick" (positioning a player so that the defensive player pursuing an offensive team mate runs into the "pick", thus freeing the offensive man for the score)(this can also be done in football to impede a defensive player from covering his assigned man). And in baseball, we also "pick off" base runners, if they take too long a lead from the base. I suspect the hockey players have similar maneuvers, but I don't follow that sport.
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189 |
>forms of "pick"<
In bowling we have "pick-up the spare" or he "picked-up the spare". When the bowler is getting set to for his spare shot we'd say, "okay, now, pick it up!"
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
WW, you are the sweetest thing! [blowing kiss e]
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