infinity

infinity
The unlimited; that which goes beyond any fixed bound. Exploration of this notion goes back at least to Zeno of Elea, and extensive mathematical treatment began with Eudoxus of Cnidus (4th c. BC). The mathematical notion was further developed by Cantor and K. T. W. Weierstrass (1815–97) in the 19th century. In the philosophy of space and time problems arise both with the infinitely small (see Bayle's trilemma, Zeno's paradoxes ) and with the infinitely large or boundless nature that each seems, intuitively, to possess. Kant argued in the antinomies that consistently regarding space or time as either finite or as infinite, was impossible, and this formed a key element in his idealist theory of them as imposed upon an unknown ( noumenal ) nature by our own forms of sense. Philosophically one division is between thinkers such as Cantor who can countenance actual completed infinities, and those such as Aristotle or the mathematician Leopold Krönecker (1823–91) who reject any such notion in favour of merely ‘potential’ infinities.

Philosophy dictionary. . 2011.

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  • Infinity — • The infinite, as the word indicates, is that which has no end, no limit, no boundary, and therefore cannot be measured by a finite standard, however often applied; it is that which cannot be attained by successive addition, not exhausted by… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Infinity — In*fin i*ty, n.; pl. {Infinities}. [L. infinitas; pref. in not + finis boundary, limit, end: cf. F. infinit[ e]. See {Finite}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Unlimited extent of time, space, or quantity; eternity; boundlessness; immensity. Sir T. More. [1913 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Infinity — (englisch für Unendlichkeit) steht für Infinity (Album), ein Musikalbum von Devin Townsend Infinity (Film), ein Film über Richard Feynman aus dem Jahr 1996 Infinity (Lautsprechermarke), eine Lautsprechermarke Infinity (Tabletop), ein Tabletop… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Infinity — (Блауберг,Южно Африканская Республика) Категория отеля: 4 звездочный отель Адрес: 99 Coral …   Каталог отелей

  • Infinity II — Localisation Coordonnées 25° 45′ 40″ N 80° 11′ …   Wikipédia en Français

  • infinity — late 14c., from O.Fr. infinité infinity; large number or quantity (13c.), from L. infinitatem (nom. infinitas) boundlessness, endlessness, from infinitus boundless, unlimited (see INFINITE (Cf. infinite)). Infinitas was used as a loan translation …   Etymology dictionary

  • Infinity II — will be a skyscraper in downtown Miami, Florida. Located in the southern Brickell Financial District, it will rank in the top ten tallest buildings in Miami. Construction on the building has begun recently, and it is expected to be complete in… …   Wikipedia

  • infinity — [in fin′i tē] n. pl. infinities [ME infinite < OFr infinité < L infinitas] 1. the quality of being infinite 2. anything infinite; endless or unlimited space, time, distance, quantity, etc. 3. an indefinitely large number or amount 4. Geom.… …   English World dictionary

  • infinity — index perpetuity Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • infinity — [n] endlessness beyond, boundlessness, continuity, continuum, endless time, eternity, expanse, extent, immeasurability, immensity, infinitude, limitlessness, myriad, perpetuity, sempiternity, space, ubiquity, unlimited space, vastitude, vastness; …   New thesaurus

  • infinity — ► NOUN (pl. infinities) 1) the state or quality of being infinite. 2) a very great number or amount. 3) Mathematics a number greater than any assignable quantity or countable number (symbol ). 4) a point in space or time that is or seems… …   English terms dictionary

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