/sci/ - Science & Math

[Anonymous No.2793740]

Hey /sci/. I have an idea/thought process I thought I'd share.

Now, we all know maths right. We know what it is.
My older brother was talking to me today saying:

You have two runners in a race, runner X and runner Y.
Runner X runs at speed Z. Runner Y runs at speed Z+1. Runner X gets a headstart. Y will never overtake X because you can keep making the units smaller and smaller and smaller to infinity.
But this is 'wrong'. Sure,the 'maths' is correct, but maths is a tool for understanding the real world. If the maths =/= real world (like in example) it is not "true" maths.

I think we should divide maths into two different fields. Real maths (the stuff people learn in school etc.) and Pseudomaths (basically just dicking around).

As I am not a clever man this is probably
A) Pointless
B) Already done
C) Just plain wrong
D) You lacka fundemental understanding of maths, please leave /sci/ and for the love of God stay away from a calculator lest you 1/0.
E) Please specify.
>Hardmode: Justify your answer.

>Pick one.

[Anonymous No.2793746]

Y will eventually over take X assuming that they run for long enough for Y overtake.

[Anonymous No.2793747]

>>2793740
> Y will never overtake X

i don't think so tim

[Implying No.2793751]

>Runner X runs at speed Z. Runner Y runs at speed Z+1. Runner X gets a headstart. Y will never overtake X because you can keep making the units smaller and smaller and smaller to infinity.

[Anonymous No.2793755]

i believe it was archimedes that first proposed this problem.

the solution is infinetesmal geometrical series formula that will tell you when x overtakes y.

there is no dicking around in mathst that is called philosophy.

if you wanna dick around go into philosophy where people will call you brilliant and deep for imagining a circle that does not add up to 360° or a triangle with four sides or whatever but maths is srs business

[Anonymous No.2793761]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achilles_and_the_Tortoise#Achilles_and_the_tortoise

[Anonymous No.2793762]

>>2793740
>>2793740
http://www.vias.org/calculus/09_infinite_series_02_02b.html

how to solve problem.

[Implying No.2793769]

>>2793755
>if you wanna dick around go into philosophy where people will call you brilliant and deep for imagining a circle that does not add up to 360° or a triangle with four sides or whatever

No, they'll call you a stupid fuckhead.

[Anonymous No.2793770]

All I need now are the values of Z and the headstart.

Fucking solved.