why is division by zero not possable?
306774
Anything divided by 0 is actually undefined, not infinity or 0. When you think about how that works, it makes sense:\n\nDividing a numerator by smaller numbers makes your number larger. Divide 4 by 2, you get 2. Divide 4 by 1, you get 4. Divide 4 by 0.5, you get 8. And so on until you are dividing by a number so small it's pretty close to 0. The overall number gets larger and goes off into infinity.\n\nBut, if you divide a negative number in the same manner, your number gets smaller. -4 by 2 is -2, -4 by 1 is -4, -4 by 0.5 is -8, etc. As you approach 0, your numbers go off into negative infinity.\n\nYou'll have the same weird effect if you divide by negative numbers - a positive divided by an increasingly smaller negative will yield negative infinity, and a negative divided by an increasingly smaller negative will yield positive infinity.\n\nYou can't have it both ways - dividing by zero yields both a positive and negative infinity! So someone a long time ago decided that since a number can't really have two values, it will be undefined.
18903
There is no number that will multiply by zero to not equal zero because for example 5x5 would be the quantity of five added five times, 5x1 would be the quantity of five added one time, and 5x0 would be the quantity of five added zero times meaning there is nothing there or, if you prefer, that the quantity (Five) is not addded at all.\n\nBTW- even infinity multiplied by zero equals zero\nBTW- There is NO NUMBER!!! that will multiply by zero to to equal anything but Zero. Not Infinity or undefined!! 0x0=ZERO Infinity x 0=ZERO, ETC.
272752
One way to understand this is to think through the meaning of a divided by b. It is a number such that when you multiply by b, you get a. \n\nThus 1 divided by 0 is undefined, because there is no number such that when you multiply it by 0, you get 1.\n\nIn the same way 0/1 is equal to 0, as 1 times 0 is 0.
89171
You cant just add or substract whatever is left. You invalidate the function of "division" by partially dividing then filling in the rest of the numerator. The number left over after something has been divided is called the modulo, and is useful for programming functions. You cant do an incomplete division(only dividing 20/5 instead of the 2/5 also) and then speculate as to why it cant be negative when doing a full division. It invalidates the definition.
247429
there has been alot of work on showing that at least a certain percent of zeros must lie on the line. I think we're up to around 90%. It is unclear to me as to whether or not a proof can be found in this way. My guess is no
165420
"Look up the word 'divide'. You cannot divide something by either 0 or 1, ever."\n\nHow about you try a MATHEMATICAL definition of divide.  In math, division by n is defined as multiplication by the inverse of n (usually denoted n^-1 but I'll call it 1/n due to the lack of superscripts).  You are absolutely right that you can't divide by zero.  However, it has nothing to do with splitting into parts.  The multiplicative inverse of n is defined as the number 1/n such that n*(1/n) = 1.  It is a property of 0 that anything times 0 equals 0, therefore the multiplicative inverse of n canot exist.  Thus it is impossible to divide by 0.\n\nDividing by 1, however, is a perfectly legitimate mathematical operation although it tends to be unproductive.  Because 1x1=1, the multiplicative inverse of 1 is 1.  From the definitions above, division by 1 is the same as multiplication by 1, which is most certainly an acceptable mathematical opperation.
622069
Above answer is ok except for not using the -- operator:\nNeed to start at 10 and to decrement i use the statement:\n\ni--;\n\nThis changes the problem somewhat.  Another problem in the first answer is that fact is not initialized, so it will always equal zero resulting in a division by zero error.
1088429
Any demonstration of this false fact will be flawed, and often uses a hidden division by zero\n\nfor instance:\na and b are real numbers different from zero:\na = b\n\na^2 = ab\na^2 - b^2 = ab - b^2\n(a - b)(a + b) = b(a - b)\n\nhence: \na + b = b,\n2b = b, and:\n2 = 1\n\nHere, i divided by "(a-b)", which is illegal since a -b =0
15686
Division by zero is an operation for which you cannot find an answer, so it is disallowed. You can understand why if you think about how division and multiplication are related.\n\n   12 divided by 6 is 2   because\n    6 times 2 is 12\n\n   12 divided by 0 is x   would mean that\n    0 times x = 12\n\nBut no value would work for x because 0 times any number is 0. So division by zero doesn't work.
624175
When you divide by (m-n) since m=n you are dividing by zero, which is not right!
431708
0/0=(1-1)/(1-1)=(1+1)*(1-1)/(1-1)=> 0/0=2\nor this:\n0/0=(4-4)/(2-2)=(2+2)*(2-2)/(2-2)=> 0/0=4\nor, maybe, this one:\n0/0=(9-9)/(3-3)=(3+3)*(3-3)/(3-3)=> 0/0=6\n.........and so one......\n\nhowever, it's not immpossible, just undefinied....
7818
There is no smallest number.\n\nEvery number (real number, for example) can be halved.\n\nThe set of real numbers is closed under the operation of multiplication.  (See item (II)-(5) at the linked reference.)\n\nSo, since 0.5 is a real number. if X is a real number, X*0.5 is also a real number.
238636
It is impossible to have 0 as a denominator.
604013
there is no answer becuase it is impossible to divide by 0
428171
any number divided by 0 is undefined
462144
1 is it's own reciprocal.  0 has no reciprocal because it is impossible to divide by 0.
68748
uhm, ZERO!  0x2=0  what, did you fail basic math?