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Please can someone tell accurately and precisely the actual fallacies of this fake proof that 0.999... ≠ 1.000... ?

Define $F: \{\text{decimals in } [0,1]\} \to \{\text{decimals in }[0,1]\}$ by
$a.bcdefg... \to a.0b0c0d0e0f0g..$.

Define $G: \{\text{decimals in } [0,1]\} \to \{\text{decimals in }[0,1]\}$ by $h.ijklmn... \to h.i0j0k0l0m0n0...$.

then

$$F(0.99999...) + G(1.00000...) = 1.0909090909... $$ $$F(0.99999...) + G(0.99999...) = 0.9999999999... $$ $$F(1.00000...) + G(1.00000...) = 2.0000000000... $$

If it were true that $ 0.999... = 1.000...$, then $ F(0.999...) + G(1.000...) = F(0.999...) + G(0.999...) = F(1.000...) + G(1.000...) = 1.090909... = 0.999999... = 2.000000...$, which is absurd.

Hence $0.999... ≠ 1.000...$ QED

Tortar
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    The function maps sequences of decimals to sequences of decimals. It does not map numbers to numbers. It's not actually a function $[0, 1] \to [0, 1]$; it simply pretends to be one. – Mark Saving Sep 28 '21 at 21:25
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    If $0.999999\dots=1.000\dots,$ then $F$ is not well-defined on $[0,1].$ it can be a function on infinite decimal strings, but it is not a function on $[0,1].$ We know $0.999\dots$ is not the same as $1.0000\dots$ as strings. $2+2$ is different from $4$ as strings of characters, too. – Thomas Andrews Sep 28 '21 at 21:29
  • It all links back to https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/11/is-it-true-that-0-999999999-ldots-1 - to which the answer is yes even if $F$ and $G$ behave as if it was no – Henry Sep 28 '21 at 21:35
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    There is nothing specific about needing two functions here. $F(0.9999\dots)\neq F(1.000\dots).$ $F$ is only a function of $0.999\dots\neq 1.000\dots.$ – Thomas Andrews Sep 28 '21 at 21:38

3 Answers3

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Define $F(a+b)=a+a+b.$ Then $F(2+2)=2+2+2\neq 4+4+0=F(4+0),$ so $2+2\neq 4+0?$


A more normal error is defining $\sqrt{x^2}=x.$ Then we’d get $-1=\sqrt{(-1)^2}=\sqrt{1^2}=1.$


At heart, your definition assumes you can’t have two different digital representations of the same number.

In my example, $F(4)$ takes a lot of values because there are a lot of ways to write $4=a+b.$ This just means that I haven’t defined a function on the real numbers.

Your definition of $F$ is only a function if $0.999\dots\neq 1.000\dots.$ So you are assuming what you are trying to prove.

Thomas Andrews
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    You mention different digital "representations." Just as an aside for future readers, I've found its very helpful when decyphering the strangeness of 0.999... = 1 to call them "labels" for numbers. I don't know what it is, but the idea that there are multiple representations seems to bother people and it messes with their intuition, but multiple labels does not. It bothers people that I might represent 4 as "1+3" or "2+2", but if I say I'm labeling it with those strings, it is easier to come to the argument you make. – Cort Ammon Sep 29 '21 at 06:07
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The "proof" assumes that $0.999\cdots\ne1$, since they are mapped to different numbers by $F$ and $G$.

In other words, $F$ and $G$ are not functions on $[0,1]$.

Martin Argerami
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    In other words, you can “prove” anything you want if you get to use your conclusion as a premise. – cjm Sep 29 '21 at 06:01
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Let $S$ denote the set of all sequences $(a_n)_{n \in \mathbb Z}$ with $a_n \in \{0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9\}$ for all $n$ and $a_n = 0$ for all but finitely many positive indices $n$. You may of course formally write $$(a_n) = \ldots a_{4} a_{3} a_{2} a_{1}a_0.a_{-1} a_{-2} a_{-3} a_{-4} \ldots $$ with "decimal point" after $a_0$, i.e. in the form of the decimal represention of a real number. However, you should be aware that this notational convention does not mean that $(a_n)$ is a real number. It is a sequence of digits which has to be distinguished from the real number $$\sigma((a_n)) = \sum_{n\in \mathbb Z} a_n 10^n .$$ The assocation $(a_n) \mapsto \sigma((a_n))$ gives us a function $$\sigma : S \to \mathbb R $$ which is clearly surjective. It is not injective, but let us assume for the moment that we do not know this fact. The fake proof in your question claims that $$\sigma(\ldots 0000.9999 \ldots) \ne \sigma(\ldots 0001.0000 \ldots) .$$ Let us analyze the "proof" and try to understand the meaning of $$F(0.99999...) + G(1.00000...) = 1.0909090909... \tag{1}$$ $$F(0.99999...) + G(0.99999...) = 0.9999999999... \tag{2}$$ $$F(1.00000...) + G(1.00000...) = 2.0000000000... \tag{3}$$ These equations involve the two functions $F, G : S \to S$ defined in your question.

The fake argument is a sleight of hand confusing the reader by sloppy notation which does not distiguish between the sequence $(a_n)$ and the real number $\sigma((a_n))$. Technically $(1) - (3)$ are equations in $S$. The problem here is that it is not obvious how to form the sum of arbitrary sequences in $S$. However, in some cases we can do it componentwise, namely if the sum of any two digits having the same index is $\le 9$. This interpretation is possible in $(1) - (3)$. But sloppily $(1) - (3)$ can also be regarded as equations in $\mathbb R$ which should more precisely be written as $$\sigma(F(\ldots 0000.9999 \ldots)) + \sigma(G(\ldots 0001.0000 \ldots)) = \sigma(\ldots 0001.0909 \ldots) \tag{1'}$$ $$\sigma(F(\ldots 0000.9999 \ldots)) + \sigma(G(\ldots 0000.9999 \ldots)) = \sigma(\ldots 0000.9999 \ldots) \tag{2'}$$ $$\sigma(F(\ldots 0001.0000 \ldots)) + \sigma(G(\ldots 0001.0000 \ldots)) = \sigma(\ldots 0002.0000 \ldots) \tag{3'}.$$ So far everything is completely okay. But now also the arguments of $F$ and $G$ are regarded as real numbers and that is the fundamental mistake. The fake proof is based on the "conclusion"

If it were true that $ 0.9999... = 1.0000...$ [an equation of real numbers meaning that $\sigma(0.9999 \ldots) = \sigma(1.0000 \ldots)$], then $F( 0.999... ) = F(1.000...)$ and $G( 0.999... ) = G(1.000...)$. Now insert in $(1) - (3)$ or in $(1') - (3')$.

This argumentation is pure nonsense. We definitely have $F( 0.999... ) \ne F(1.000...)$ and $G( 0.999... ) \ne G(1.000...)$ as well as $\sigma(F( 0.999... )) \ne \sigma(F(1.000...))$ and $\sigma(G( 0.999... )) \ne \sigma(G(1.000...))$.

The fake argumentation essentially pretends that $F$ (and similarly $G$) induces a function $\bar F : \mathbb R \to \mathbb R$ such that $$\sigma \circ F = \bar F \circ \sigma .$$
This is of course false, but can easily be overlooked.

Paul Frost
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