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Math Question

PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 9:28 pm
by maasman
Ok, here's what I was thinking in calc the other day, if 2+2+2=2*3 and 2*2*2=2^3, what does 2^2^2=?, is there some higher function for this? From there, is there some sort of infinite higherarchy? And is this even a useful function?

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 9:34 pm
by Woodruff
maasman wrote:Ok, here's what I was thinking in calc the other day, if 2+2+2=2*3 and 2*2*2=2^3, what does 2^2^2=?, is there some higher function for this? From there, is there some sort of infinite higherarchy? And is this even a useful function?


And your enjoyment of The Big Bang Theory now becomes clear. <smile>

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 9:37 pm
by maasman
I like math quite a lot, and since I just took the BC calc test, we don't have anymore homework and class is pretty light and laid back, which gives me a lot of time to think :)

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 9:41 pm
by Army of GOD
Yes, it's called the Army of GOD function.

2(hurrdurr)3=2^2^2

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 9:44 pm
by maasman
Army of GOD wrote:Yes, it's called the Army of GOD function.

2(hurrdurr)3=2^2^2

Not quite what I was looking for, but I'll take it for now :lol:

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 11:35 pm
by Neoteny
The real question is whether .999... = 1

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 1:34 am
by AgentSmith88
Neoteny wrote:The real question is whether .999... = 1


I believe that already has its own thread and broke down into name calling and feces throwing.

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 1:36 am
by Army of GOD
AgentSmith88 wrote:
Neoteny wrote:The real question is whether .999... = 1


I believe that already has its own thread and broke down into name calling and feces throwing.


Well at least I'm not a facehead.

*puts cupped hand near ass*

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 1:38 am
by AgentSmith88
Is there a "Legends of the Hidden Temple" thread? If not you should start one AoG.

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 1:46 am
by Army of GOD
If Nickelodeon can give me the rights, I'd remake the whole friggin' show.

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 6:25 am
by Lord and Master
maasman wrote:Ok, here's what I was thinking in calc the other day, if 2+2+2=2*3 and 2*2*2=2^3, what does 2^2^2=?, is there some higher function for this? From there, is there some sort of infinite higherarchy? And is this even a useful function?

No. Addition and Multiplication are associative functions, which means the order you do them in doesn't matter (ie x+y+z= z+x+y= y+x+z etc) but "Raising to the power of..." (for want of a snappier title) is not associative and must be explicitly ordered with brackets for accuracy, so x^(y^z) is not always equal to (x^y)^z except in a very few certain cases. Thus there is no infinite hierarchy. :geek:

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 7:29 am
by tzor
maasman wrote:Ok, here's what I was thinking in calc the other day, if 2+2+2=2*3 and 2*2*2=2^3, what does 2^2^2=?, is there some higher function for this? From there, is there some sort of infinite higherarchy? And is this even a useful function?


I think you mean is there some simplifying term for this? Not off of the top of my head. Note that you can "cheat" to some extent because the log function effectively bumps math down one level 2^3 = e^(ln(2)*3) so the operation 2?3 could also be defined as e^(ln(2)^3) or even (he he) e^(e^(ln(2)*3))

I don't think this is a useful function.

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 7:33 am
by tzor
Lord+Master wrote:
maasman wrote:Ok, here's what I was thinking in calc the other day, if 2+2+2=2*3 and 2*2*2=2^3, what does 2^2^2=?, is there some higher function for this? From there, is there some sort of infinite higherarchy? And is this even a useful function?

No. Addition and Multiplication are associative functions, which means the order you do them in doesn't matter (ie x+y+z= z+x+y= y+x+z etc) but "Raising to the power of..." (for want of a snappier title) is not associative and must be explicitly ordered with brackets for accuracy, so x^(y^z) is not always equal to (x^y)^z except in a very few certain cases. Thus there is no infinite hierarchy. :geek:


This is true but the idea is that we are dealing with iterative functions, the same number repeated again and again, so the "order" is implied.

Multiplication is repeated addition
Exponenation is repeated multiuplication
Maasmanation is repeated exponenation.

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 7:35 am
by edocsil
its 2^4 guys...... simplify.

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 7:44 am
by AAFitz
Neoteny wrote:The real question is whether .999... = 1


Actually, I believe we definitively proved it did in another thread.










or didnt...

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 8:29 am
by MeDeFe
edocsil wrote:its 2^4 guys...... simplify.

No, it's 4^2

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 9:09 am
by nippersean
Does 3^3^3^3 = 3^(3*3) or is that something different?

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 9:19 am
by MeDeFe
nippersean wrote:Does 3^3^3^3 = 3^(3*3)

No.

or is that something different?

Yes.

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 10:07 am
by Trephining
x^y^z is not well-defined.

It needs to be specified as either (x^y)^z OR x^(y^z)

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 10:09 am
by PLAYER57832
MeDeFe wrote:
edocsil wrote:its 2^4 guys...... simplify.

No, it's 4^2

lol

10000 (binary, of course!)

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 10:35 am
by Metsfanmax
Trephining wrote:x^y^z is not well-defined.

It needs to be specified as either (x^y)^z OR x^(y^z)


While that's true, the rather obvious implication from the first post is that he's looking for terms of the form

(x^x)^x or ((x^x)^x)^x or (((x^x)^x)^x)^x etc.

As long as we're agreed that each exponent is meant only to raise what's below it, then we can safely multiply all the exponents together. I'm not sure if that applies to an infinite number of exponents, though, given the existence of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riemann_series_theorem.

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 10:47 am
by PLAYER57832
MeDeFe wrote:
nippersean wrote:Does 3^3^3^3 = 3^(3*3)

No.

or is that something different?

Yes.


3^3^3^3= 3^(3*3*3)

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 11:07 am
by Lord and Master
tzor wrote:
Lord+Master wrote:
maasman wrote:Ok, here's what I was thinking in calc the other day, if 2+2+2=2*3 and 2*2*2=2^3, what does 2^2^2=?, is there some higher function for this? From there, is there some sort of infinite higherarchy? And is this even a useful function?

No. Addition and Multiplication are associative functions, which means the order you do them in doesn't matter (ie x+y+z= z+x+y= y+x+z etc) but "Raising to the power of..." (for want of a snappier title) is not associative and must be explicitly ordered with brackets for accuracy, so x^(y^z) is not always equal to (x^y)^z except in a very few certain cases. Thus there is no infinite hierarchy. :geek:


This is true but the idea is that we are dealing with iterative functions, the same number repeated again and again, so the "order" is implied.

Multiplication is repeated addition
Exponenation is repeated multiuplication
Maasmanation is repeated exponenation.

Mathematics is inherently abhorrent of ambiguities so to state that the order is implied is simply not good enough! It's either stated clearly and obviously and unambiguously or... it's not proper maths ;)

Anyway, as 2*2 = 2^2, "maasmanation" (nice term btw!) is no more than what you term "exponenation" (which I'm very dubious is a real term tbh) and, furthermore, in this isolated example, no more than multiplication.

I still say no to the original question... [-(

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 12:16 pm
by Army of GOD
MeDeFe wrote:
edocsil wrote:its 2^4 guys...... simplify.

No, it's 4^2


No, it's 16^1.

Re: Math Question

PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 3:25 pm
by nippersean
MeDeFe wrote:
nippersean wrote:Does 3^3^3^3 = 3^(3*3)

No.

or is that something different?

Yes.


Thanks for the incite MDF, most helpful.