• Ephera@lemmy.ml
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    2 年前

    Always bothered me that this feels unintuitive in maths, even though this is precisely what maths tries to model with division.

    But yeah, being able to divide by fractions of 1 and negative numbers and whatnot, that really does not make it feel like you’re cutting cake.

    • Elise@beehaw.org
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      2 年前

      If you divide two cakes by half a cake you get four half cakes.

      And negative cakes just make you more hungry. So if you’re 2 cakes hungry and I give you 5 you’ll only have 3 left because you ate them.

      • Ephera@lemmy.ml
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        2 年前

        Yeah, I guess, lots of maths being done without units is the culprit here.

        2 / 0.5 = 4 just makes it sound like you’ve magically applied some transformation to 2, which has cloned it.
        2 cakes / 0.5 cakes = 4 half-cakes rather makes it clear why it’s suddenly double the amount, without cloning involved.

        • Elise@beehaw.org
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          2 年前

          I’m quite excited to help with any other things you have difficulties with.