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Message-ID: <3CA347EC.5000902@oek.dk>
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2002 17:42:20 +0100
From: "Peter I. Hansen" <pih@oek.dk>
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Subject: Re: Natural data type ?
References: <3CA12AD4.2030807@oek.dk> <a7vgei$mom$2@a1-hrz.uni-duisburg.de>
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Date: 2002-03-28T17:42:20+01:00
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Georg Bauhaus wrote:

>Peter I. Hansen <pih@oek.dk> wrote:
>: We learn in mathematics that the natural numbers are positive integers 
>: not including zero..., So to me the 'Natural' way of defining these 
>
>Natural, the way it is defined, allows me to very naturally
>answer the question, 'How many?'
>
>- Georg
>
No, this is a misunderstanding. The natural numbers are defined to be 
the numbers you can count to. You can count to 1, you can count to 2, 
you can count to 3, ... and so forth. You cannot count to Zero.

The question 'How many?' is the reason for defining other numbers than 
natural.
'Q: How many apples did you eat ? A: 2 and a half (=2.5 a rational number)'.

/Peter