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by alexbecker 3358 days ago
There are no infinitesimals in the reals. You can define a mathematical structure containing infinitesimals [0], but it's not the reals.

[0] Specifically, the dual numbers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_number

1 comments

Interesting. How do you describe the difference between two successive real numbers?
> How do you describe the difference between two successive real numbers?

There is no such things as «two successive real numbers».

Yeah, there aren't even two successive dual numbers. What's after 1? If it's 1 + epsilon, then what about 1 + epsilon / 2?