Acwruecmp.100
net.math
utzoo!decvax!cwruecmp!decot
Wed May 5 11:40:26 1982
2 = 1
Here's one without imaginary numbers, or even any division by nasty things:
**************************************
Recall this from grade school:
a * b = a + a + ... + a {b times}
**************************************
Substitute x for a and b:
x * x = x + x + ... + x {x times}
**************************************
Differentiate both sides:
2 * x = 1 + 1 + ... + 1 {x times}
**************************************
Simplify 1 + 1 + ... + 1:
2 * x = x
**************************************
Assume x isn't 0, cancel it from both sides:
2 = 1
**************************************
What's wrong?
Dave Decot - CWRU
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