Positive or Negative ?
We all know that the value of tan 270 is - infinity.
But also there is a formula stating that for any value for A between 0 and 90 tan (180+A) = tan A So tan (270) = tan (180+9) = tan 90 = infinity
So what is wrong in this as tan cannot be infinity AND - infinity.
-- abdeali kothari
But also there is a formula stating that for any value for A between 0 and 90 tan (180+A) = tan A So tan (270) = tan (180+9) = tan 90 = infinity
So what is wrong in this as tan cannot be infinity AND - infinity.
-- abdeali kothari
Labels: mathemagic, SharedPuzzle
posted by Rajesh Lal at
1:06 PM
7 Comments:
"We all know that the value of tan 270 is - infinity."
We don't all know this, as it is wrong. It's like say 1/x is +infinity for x=0. You following statements goes some way to showing this.
But your last statement is true, tan cannot be +infinity or - infinity, in real terms it is neither.
okay.
Tan 270=Tan90degrees, right?
But Tangent of 90degrees is 1/0. Which everybody knows that is undefined.
And undefined equals neither +infinity or -infinity.
So yeah, I agree with the anonymous person
right tan(270) is not -infinity. It's undefined. the limit of tan(A) approaches -infinity as A increases to 270. But it also approaches +infinity as A decreses to 270. at the exact point of A=270, then equation is undefined.
I agree with all. Infinity is not the same as undefined. Infinity , in this case, would imply that there would be a meeting of parallel lines. I also wonder if it is possible to have 2 lines, not parallel, but never meeting as the gap between them is ever decreasing but becomes infinitely small.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with using tan(90) as infinity and tan(270) as negative infinity.
It gives you an indication of the reality of what's going on. A few might argue that its "undefined", but they might as well tell you they don't know. But in the real world when you use numbers it's more valuable to realize that tan(89.99999 degrees) is aproaching infinity.
Yeah, consider the graphs of y=1/x and y=-1/x. Neither will ever meet, but as x increases they get closer together.
It approaches infinity, but is undefined. Idiot.
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