Post #2265141
2026-05-08 16:17 UTC
Replies (3)
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@atoponce@fosstodon.org 2026-05-08 22:26
NGL, I'm kinda bummed that there isn't a double-struck "blackboard bold" capital letter standard to represent the surreals. ℤ → integers ℕ → naturals ℙ → primes ℚ → rationals ℝ → reals ℂ → complexes ℍ → quaternions 𝕆 → octonions 𝕊 → sedenions 𝔽 → finite fields 𝔹 → booleans {L | R} is descriptive, but lame. Heh. #math #maths
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@rob@social.afront.org 2026-05-08 18:15
@atoponce@fosstodon.org — oh _hell_ yes. The surreal numbers provide a rigorous foundation for differential and integral calculus, and one that makes a lot more sense. In my Cauchy-based undergrad calc courses Dr. Wogahn would all but break a ruler over our wrists if we ever thought of dy'dx as a fraction, but they _are_ a fraction — a ratio of two surreal numbers! If you dig around you can find a great surreal freshman calculus book written by one of the founders of surreal numbers, and he's made it available for free. I highly recommend it. Thanks to it, I actually understand calculus now, as opposed to just being able to do it.
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@atoponce@fosstodon.org 2026-05-08 21:44
@0rkk0@fosstodon.org I'll check it out. Thanks!