Belts and Number Systems

Published by patrick honner on

I recent bought a bunch of different belts, and I was surprised at how my different choices reminded me of different number systems.

Belts 1

The belt in the middle is the integer belt.  The holes are far apart and evenly spaced out, kind of like the integers 1, 2, 3, 4, … .

The belt on top is the rational number belt.  The criss-cross pattern means there are lots more holes to choose from, and they are closer together.

The belt on the bottom is the real number belt.   You can cinch this closed in a whole continuum of places.  You basically have every length available to you, from 0 to whatever.

Belts 2

Belts and number systems; socks and the axiom of choice!  What other math lurks in the closet?

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patrick honner

Math teacher in Brooklyn, New York

2 Comments

Japheth Wood · February 25, 2011 at 9:13 am

Nice observations on the belts. Let me know when you get a Gaussian Integer belt!

MrHonner · February 25, 2011 at 9:54 am

Or perhaps a hyperreals belt.

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