They multiplied both sides by 10.
0.9999… times 10 is 9.9999…
X times 10 is 10x.
Comment on I just cited myself.
SmartmanApps@programming.dev 4 months agoyou can prove it with math
Not a proof, just wrong. In the “(substitute 0.9999… = x)” step, it was only done to one side, not both (the left side would’ve become 9.99999), therefore wrong.
They multiplied both sides by 10.
0.9999… times 10 is 9.9999…
X times 10 is 10x.
X times 10 is 10x
10x is 9.9999999…
As I said, they didn’t substitute on both sides, only one, thus breaking the rules around rearranging algebra. Anything you do to one side you have to do to the other.
ytg@sopuli.xyz 4 months ago
The substitution property of equality is a part of its definition; you can substitute anywhere.
SmartmanApps@programming.dev 4 months ago
And if you are rearranging algebra you have to do the exact same thing on both sides, always
SmartmanApps@programming.dev 4 months ago
And if you don’t then you can no longer claim they are still equal.
ytg@sopuli.xyz 4 months ago
For any
a
,b
,c
, ifa = b
andb = c
, thena = c
, right? The transitive property of equality.For any
a
,b
,x
, ifa = b
, thenx + a = x + b
. The substitution property.By combining both of these properties, for any
a
,b
,x
,y
, ifa = b
andy = b + x
, it follows thatb + x = a + x
andy = a + x
.In our example,
a
isx’
(notice the'
) andb
is0.999…
(by definition).y
is10x’
andx
is9
. Let’s fill in the values.If
x’ = 0.9999…
(true by definition) and10x = 0.999… + 9
(true by algebraic manipulation), then0.999… + 9 = x’ + 9
and10x’ = x’ + 9
.If you actually change any of the sides. Since, after substitution, the numeric value doesn’t change (literally the definition of equality), I don’t have to do anything – as I’m not rearranging. I’m merely presenting the same value in an equivalent manner. By contrast, when multiplying both sides by 10, since multiplication by 10 changes the concrete numeric value, I have to do it on both sides to maintain the equality relation (ditto for subtracting
x’
). But substitution never changes a numeric value – only rearranges what we already know.