Math

acrossthesirion · 02-02-2006, 03:59 PM

In math a negative number times a negative number is equal to a positive number. So, less than nothing times less than nothing comes out a something. Someone tell my why I'm wrong, please.

bobthecockroach · 02-02-2006, 04:08 PM

... what?

TahoeJeff · 02-02-2006, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acrossthesirion

In math a negative number times a negative number is equal to a positive number. So, less than nothing times less than nothing comes out a something. Someone tell my why I'm wrong, please.

You're not wrong.

Abbadon · 02-02-2006, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acrossthesirion

In math a negative number times a negative number is equal to a positive number. So, less than nothing times less than nothing comes out a something. Someone tell my why I'm wrong, please.

Less than nothing: Good music in country music
-Multiplied by-
Less than nothing: Average redneck's good taste
-Equals-
Tons of money for country music performers.

I don't see how this is wrong.

**meatfinger** · 02-02-2006, 06:38 PM

Quote:

I don't see how this is wrong.

I do: your first premise. You cannot possibly say that the quantity of good music within the country music genre is less than nothing, because country music has Ryan Adams.

scorpio · 02-02-2006, 06:49 PM

I don't get that stuff. In 7th grade when I took a test on it I got a 38% on it.

scorpio · 02-02-2006, 06:49 PM

I don't get that stuff. In 7th grade when I took a test on it I got a 38% on it.

Jonular · 02-02-2006, 07:44 PM

That must have taken guts to admit...

~Jon

Napoleon17 · 02-02-2006, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone

So, less than nothing times less than nothing comes out a something. Someone tell my why I'm wrong, please.

You're not wrong. That's correct.

-4 x -4 = 16. It's that simple.

Mike Graham · 02-02-2006, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acrossthesirion

In math a negative number times a negative number is equal to a positive number.

Correct.

Quote:

Originally Posted by acrossthesirion

So, less than nothing times less than nothing comes out a something. Someone tell my why I'm wrong, please.

You are not thinking about it in a particularly good way. A negative number is not less than nothing in the sense that it is more nothing, but it is in fact something: only in a the other direction. When you multiply two negatives, you reverse the direction twice, from forwards/positive to backwards/negative and then from backwards/negative, it reverses to forwards/positive.

Your teacher has probably had you call negatives "opposite" before. This can be a very valuable way of thinking of things.

Mike Graham · 02-02-2006, 09:12 PM

A word problem, though a bit of a stretch:

Anna and Bobby have a line of credit down at the bank and they take out loans, $50 at a time. If Anna has taken out three fewer loans than Bobby, how do the amounts of money they have compare?

In this case, you take the number of loans comparing them (-3) times the amount of money they have for each loan (-50). You multiply them and get -3*-50=150. Anna has $150 more than Bobby.

teejman · 02-02-2006, 10:00 PM

I can do math, but man, when you put them in word problems, it's a whole other world man.

SccHarpGirl · 02-02-2006, 10:02 PM

when you sum up a bunch of nothings you can get something. Maybe that's what your thinking of....

For instance, if you're talking about probabilities of a continuous random variable, the probability of observing any particular point is zero. But if you sum up probabilities across a bunch of different points, you do get a number. So this is a case where nothings can add up to a something.

Integration works in a somewhat similar fashion, really. Which makes sense because probabilities of a continuous random variable operate by integration of the normal curve.

Mike Graham · 02-02-2006, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teejman

I can do math, but man, when you put them in word problems, it's a whole other world man.

Then it's worthless. It's like knowing all the right responses to make the sounds of in French but has no idea what he's saying and certainly can't translate between French and English.

Although my particular word problem was a kind of far fetched one.

teejman · 02-02-2006, 10:18 PM

it's actually more like when the word problem is on paper. if that so called word problem were to actually happen in my life, I'd more than likely know what to do.