Talk:Even and odd numbers
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Maybe merge & redirect to Parity? -- Tarquin 23:30 Jan 16, 2003 (UTC)
It was rather ridiculous that [[Even]], [[Even integer]], and [[Even number]] all redirected to [[Odd number]]. So, I've expanded the content and moved it to the generic "Even and odd numbers". -- Minesweeper 01:10 3 Jun 2003 (UTC)
- I second your decision. Sometimes it is meaingless to have two seprate articles for some pair of concepts.
Anyway, I know this is too detailed but the opening setence says:
- any integer can be either even or odd. A number is called an even number if it can be evenly divided by two.
The readers might wonder so what's exactly difference between integer and number? Any integer can be even or odd and a number dividable by 2 is an even number. What about integers? -- Taku 03:37 3 Jun 2003 (UTC)
I wonder can a real number be even or odd? -- Taku 04:10 3 Jun 2003 (UTC)
- Well, if the real number in question happens to be an integer, it can. ;) -- Oliver P. 04:13 3 Jun 2003 (UTC)
Whata about 1.2? It's not an integer but a real number and even. -- Taku 12:44 3 Jun 2003 (UTC)
Eh? How 1.2 an even number? No fraction can be an even number by definition.
- Right. non-integers are neither even nor odd by definition. -- Taku
But it can be evenly divided by 2: 1.2/2 = 0.6. ^_^
- How long has 0.6 been an integer?
-- Toby Bartels 05:37 12 Jun 2003 (UTC)
- You're a wild and crazy guy. -- Cimon Avaro on a pogo stick 05:43 12 Jun 2003 (UTC)
- By the definition that mathematicians come up with, only is an integer an even number. But it may be wrong in practice. Because to me, 1.2 or 0.6 look like an even number while 1.3 may be odd. -- Taku
I guess that the point is that "evenly divided" is ambiguous until you specify what the quotient is allowed to be. But we say "multiple", which works fine. As for Taku's perceptions, 1.2 is an even multiple of 0.1, while 1.3 is an odd multiple ... but 1.3 = 1.30 is an even multiple of 0.01! -- Toby Bartels 05:53 12 Jun 2003 (UTC)
And if you write 1.2 in binary instead, you get 1.0011001100110011001... which suddenly makes it look not at all even any more... :) -- Oliver P. 06:08 12 Jun 2003 (UTC)
- Rather depends where you stop writing it out (it's an infinitely recurring binary fraction; the number you wrote out is not equal to 1.2). mfc 17:03, 2 Dec 2004 (UTC)
I still think we should move this to parity and open with something like: "the parity of an integer is whether it is even or odd ... " -- Tarquin 09:13 12 Jun 2003 (UTC)
I don't want to think about combinging those, but I ceratinly won't stop you if you want to do it. -- Toby Bartels 09:37 12 Jun 2003 (UTC)
Seriously though, could someone who knows wind instruments please clarify what fundamental means in that context. Thanks. (and do it by editing the article) -- Cimon Avaro on a pogo stick 05:49 12 Jun 2003 (UTC)