Assume there is an infinitely large universe with a beginningless past in which two eternal particles move at a constant speed of 1 km per “day” with respect to each other. Intuitively (to me), it seems that the distance between the two particles would, on any day, be infinite, since on any day there are an actual infinite number of prior days, and so the two particles would have already moved an actual infinite distance with respect to each other. However, it might be argued that the distance between the two particles could always be finite: On some day X the distance (in km) is 0, on day X-1 it is 1, on day X-2 it is 2, etc… So the ordered set of the distances between particles for every day up to day X would be (…, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0). Is this possible? If so, since it also seems possible that the this set could be (…, infinity, infinity, infinity), is the answer indeterminate?
2026-03-26 21:12:22.1774559542
Does this beginningless-past thought experiment result in several possible non-well-ordered sets?
26 Views Asked by Bumbble Comm https://math.techqa.club/user/bumbble-comm/detail AtRelated Questions in INFINITY
- Does Planck length contradict math?
- No two sided limit exists
- Are these formulations correct?
- Are these numbers different from each other?
- What is wrong in my analysis?
- Where does $x$ belong to?
- Divide by zero on Android
- Why is the set of all infinite binary sequences uncountable but the set of all natural numbers are countable?
- Is a set infinite if there exists a bijection between the topological space X and the set?
- Infinitesimal Values
Related Questions in WELL-ORDERS
- Proof of well-ordering property
- how to prove the well-ordering principle using the principle of complete mathematical induction
- Role of Well-Ordering Principle in proving every subgroup of $\mathbb{Z}$ is of the form $n\mathbb{Z}$
- Is Induction applicable only to well-ordered sets that are not bounded above?
- Application of the Well-Ordering Principle
- Equinumerous well ordered sets are isomorphic
- How can a set be uncountable but well-ordered?
- well ordering principle and ordered field
- Can you turn a well-founded relation into a well-quasi-ordering?
- Initial segment of $\mathbb{Z}$ not determined by an element
Trending Questions
- Induction on the number of equations
- How to convince a math teacher of this simple and obvious fact?
- Find $E[XY|Y+Z=1 ]$
- Refuting the Anti-Cantor Cranks
- What are imaginary numbers?
- Determine the adjoint of $\tilde Q(x)$ for $\tilde Q(x)u:=(Qu)(x)$ where $Q:U→L^2(Ω,ℝ^d$ is a Hilbert-Schmidt operator and $U$ is a Hilbert space
- Why does this innovative method of subtraction from a third grader always work?
- How do we know that the number $1$ is not equal to the number $-1$?
- What are the Implications of having VΩ as a model for a theory?
- Defining a Galois Field based on primitive element versus polynomial?
- Can't find the relationship between two columns of numbers. Please Help
- Is computer science a branch of mathematics?
- Is there a bijection of $\mathbb{R}^n$ with itself such that the forward map is connected but the inverse is not?
- Identification of a quadrilateral as a trapezoid, rectangle, or square
- Generator of inertia group in function field extension
Popular # Hahtags
second-order-logic
numerical-methods
puzzle
logic
probability
number-theory
winding-number
real-analysis
integration
calculus
complex-analysis
sequences-and-series
proof-writing
set-theory
functions
homotopy-theory
elementary-number-theory
ordinary-differential-equations
circles
derivatives
game-theory
definite-integrals
elementary-set-theory
limits
multivariable-calculus
geometry
algebraic-number-theory
proof-verification
partial-derivative
algebra-precalculus
Popular Questions
- What is the integral of 1/x?
- How many squares actually ARE in this picture? Is this a trick question with no right answer?
- Is a matrix multiplied with its transpose something special?
- What is the difference between independent and mutually exclusive events?
- Visually stunning math concepts which are easy to explain
- taylor series of $\ln(1+x)$?
- How to tell if a set of vectors spans a space?
- Calculus question taking derivative to find horizontal tangent line
- How to determine if a function is one-to-one?
- Determine if vectors are linearly independent
- What does it mean to have a determinant equal to zero?
- Is this Batman equation for real?
- How to find perpendicular vector to another vector?
- How to find mean and median from histogram
- How many sides does a circle have?