Can I have an imaginary number? If so please reserve "J"

As long as we're claiming numbers, I'll take aleph-nought.

Only if I can have aleph-nought -1

I'll have any number = -1 modulo 5.

11) Is it viewed positively? Yes.
10) Spherical? No.
09) Metal? No.
08) Is it useful? Yes.
07) Part of the landscape? No.
06) Underground usually? No.
05) Mineral? Yes.
04) Moving parts? No.
03) Physical? Yes.
02) A book? No.
01) Edible? No.
00) Shall we play Twenty questions? Yes.
-0) Negative numbers allowed? Yes.
-0.0) Reserve -0 for geg? Yes.

Reserving Numbers.

Although I have no problem reserving numbers on a "first come, first served" basis, I notice that there is some ambiguity and some overlapping of requests, as well as requests for entire sets. For example, if I permit the reservation of the descriptor "J" for imaginary numbers, should it take the Python behaviour or the (I believe) slightly different MatLab behaviour? Should I define an imaginary number as "a number which can be imagined?" This would encompass sets from the cis-finite to Aleph-ω onwards as well as much more easily imagined numbers such as "three" and "porridge."

Accordingly, I shall keep accord by according geg grandfather rights to -0, and while not discouraging others to keep whatever numbers they require for private use in their own homes, I feel that some numbers just shouldn't be allowed out in public until they learn to behave.

I'd like to keep the Quaternions for myself, though. I like to line them up slightly out of order, and watch the sun glisten on their rigid bodies as they rotate back to conjugation. Not the split-biquaternions, though, anyone can have those rough little beasts.

(Later.) I'm feeling much better now, thanks. For a moment I didn't know if I was on my Ω or my ω.

Is it used in the kitchen for culinary purposes? (always I come back to food related things).

12) Used in the kitchen for culinary purposes? No.
11) Is it viewed positively? Yes.
10) Spherical? No.
09) Metal? No.
08) Is it useful? Yes.
07) Part of the landscape? No.
06) Underground usually? No.
05) Mineral? Yes.
04) Moving parts? No.
03) Physical? Yes.
02) A book? No.
01) Edible? No.
00) Shall we play Twenty questions? Yes.
-0) Negative numbers allowed? Yes.
-0.0) Reserve -0 for geg? Yes.

I intend to expand on some answers after the solution is found.

MistyCat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Reserving Numbers.
>
>if I permit the reservation of the
> descriptor "J" for imaginary numbers, should it
> take the Python behaviour or the (I believe)
> slightly different MatLab behaviour?

While I only wanted J (the square root of -1 in electrical engineering terminology), not the entire range of complex numbers, and certainly had no intention of using Python or Matlab to to write a program to discern the answer, I defer to your right as question setter and will go off and bake some PI

My Menagerie numbers like Pi.

So, at the moment none of us knows anything at all? Excellent!

4) Do people buy them?

13) Do people buy them? Yes.
12) Used in the kitchen for culinary purposes? No.
11) Is it viewed positively? Yes.
10) Spherical? No.
09) Metal? No.
08) Is it useful? Yes.
07) Part of the landscape? No.
06) Underground usually? No.
05) Mineral? Yes.
04) Moving parts? No.
03) Physical? Yes.
02) A book? No.
01) Edible? No.
00) Shall we play Twenty questions? Yes.
-0) Negative numbers allowed? Yes.
-0.0) Reserve -0 for geg? Yes.
-0.0.0) Use numbers other than the integers 1-20? No.

14) Do people carry them about?

<Admires MistyCat's firm hand and ability to keep numerical order in the known instability of a fforum thread>

14) Do people carry them about? Yes.
13) Do people buy them? Yes.
12) Used in the kitchen for culinary purposes? No.
11) Is it viewed positively? Yes.
10) Spherical? No.
09) Metal? No.
08) Is it useful? Yes.
07) Part of the landscape? No.
06) Underground usually? No.
05) Mineral? Yes.
04) Moving parts? No.
03) Physical? Yes.
02) A book? No.
01) Edible? No.
00) Shall we play Twenty questions? Yes.
-0) Negative numbers allowed? Yes.
-0.0) Reserve -0 for geg? Yes.
-0.0.0) Use numbers other than the integers 1-20? No.

>Thanks geg for compliment, and points out that fforum users strictly conform to the rules, although each member reserves the rights both to choose which rules to follow and which to define or redefine extemporaneously.>

Is it an mp3 player?

15) An mp3 player? No.
14) Do people carry them about? Yes.
13) Do people buy them? Yes.
12) Used in the kitchen for culinary purposes? No.
11) Is it viewed positively? Yes.
10) Spherical? No.
09) Metal? No.
08) Is it useful? Yes.
07) Part of the landscape? No.
06) Underground usually? No.
05) Mineral? Yes.
04) Moving parts? No.
03) Physical? Yes.
02) A book? No.
01) Edible? No.
00) Shall we play Twenty questions? Yes.
-0) Negative numbers allowed? Yes.
-0.0) Reserve -0 for geg? Yes.
-0.0.0) Use numbers other than the integers 1-20? No.

Does it fit in a pocket?

16) Does it fit in a pocket? Yes.
15) An mp3 player? No.
14) Do people carry them about? Yes.
13) Do people buy them? Yes.
12) Used in the kitchen for culinary purposes? No.
11) Is it viewed positively? Yes.
10) Spherical? No.
09) Metal? No.
08) Is it useful? Yes.
07) Part of the landscape? No.
06) Underground usually? No.
05) Mineral? Yes.
04) Moving parts? No.
03) Physical? Yes.
02) A book? No.
01) Edible? No.
00) Shall we play Twenty questions? Yes.
-0) Negative numbers allowed? Yes.
-0.0) Reserve -0 for geg? Yes.
-0.0.0) Use numbers other than the integers 1-20? No.

This is getting interesting. Most useful things I carry about in my pocket are precluded by one or more of the other answers.

Does it represent or carry a value? (Such as money, a bank card, telephone card, seasonal ticket, voucher, etcetera)

Question -0.0.0.0
I've never really played this game before. Would someone please clarify what "mineral" means? Does it mean simply that it's inorganic, or the odd (to me) definition "any of a class of substances occurring in nature, usually comprising inorganic substances, as quartz or feldspar, of definite chemical composition and usually of definite crystal structure, but sometimes also including rocks formed by these substances as well as certain natural products of organic origin, as asphalt or coal. " (from Dictionary.com). I want to guess it's a rock, since Charlie Brownisms sneak into my life a lot, but I don't quite dare. Although, I have been known to carry a rock or two in my pocket...

(4 is my favorite number, but I won't attempt to reserve it, as it would make this game a bit difficult) (grin)

17) Does it represent or carry a transferable monetary value? No.
16) Does it fit in a pocket? Yes.
15) An mp3 player? No.
14) Do people carry them about? Yes.
13) Do people buy them? Yes.
12) Used in the kitchen for culinary purposes? No.
11) Is it viewed positively? Yes.
10) Spherical? No.
09) Metal? No.
08) Is it useful? Yes.
07) Part of the landscape? No.
06) Underground usually? No.
05) Mineral? Yes.
04) Moving parts? No.
03) Physical? Yes.
02) A book? No.
01) Edible? No.
00) Shall we play Twenty questions? Yes.
-0) Negative numbers allowed? Yes.
-0.0) Reserve -0 for geg? Yes.
-0.0.0) Use numbers other than the integers 1-20? No.

-0.0.0.0) In the context of the game "Twenty Questions" what does "mineral" mean?

That's a big question. I've just had a quick look on Wikipedia, but they don't say a lot. I found this site an interesting read.

Part of the fun of "spoken" Twenty Questions can be in how strictly or loosely the rules are followed and the discussion about each answer.
In my opinion, the word "usually" plays a very important part. Your rock would have been eliminated by "06) Underground usually? No.," but (as an example of some games (but not the current game)) your rock would change 12) Used in the kitchen for culinary purposes? No. to "Yes" because in my household nothing tenderises a steak quite like thumping it with the family heirloom, a river boulder moulded by the passing of time and the flowing of water into the perfect shape for pounding the Porterhouse.

Oh, and the very first question, Edible? No. would need changing, because there's nothing like finely ground pumice for giving the porridge that subtle and alluring taste of.. er, pumice.

I try to avoid that there lawyering-type thinking and I try to call a spade a shovel-shaped object used to assist in the nomenclature of another shovel-shaped object.
(Spelling error corrected.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/2010 11:37AM by MistyCat.