They say that opposites attract
just like infinity and zero
are the limes of each other
the opposing poles on the
surface of a Riemann sphere
And all that lie between
zero and infinity is just
complexity of our reality
and yet the distance
between our opposites
is larger than googolplexes
and parsecs in the universe
From wikimedia common
I have been thinking about doing poetry of math terms (jargon) .. I thought it would be interesting to set it against the platetude of “opposite attracts”. Having read Math a long ago, I love the concept of the Riemann sphere, whereby infinity and zero are put right next to each other (and all other numbers between).
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February 23, 2014
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Oy, Bjorn, this is brilliant. But you are a physicist and I am…um….old……I have no comment other than – you are sooooo smart! hee hee.(The opposites attract, I totally agree with, been there, done that.)
I read your post and was about to write the word “brilliant” but Sherry Blue Sky has beaten me to it!!
I love it Bjorn specially:
all that lie between
zero and infinity is just
complexity of our reality –
I love the idea of infinity and zero being next to each other. 🙂
This is a most remarkable metaphor, Bjorn. I will never think of infinity and zero in quite the same way. Zero is a kind of infinity of nothingness all its own.
This was well done as usual but I never took physics so you lost me. I’ll take your word for it.
Whoa, this is over this old lady’s head, but it sounds so wonderful, I simply have to believe it.
However, I did look up one word, because I’m a confirmed looker-up of words and I found out one ‘parsec’ corresponds to the distance at which the mean radius of the earth’s orbit subtends an angle of one second of arc.
Imagine…that mean radius subtending that poor angle.
K
This is clever and awesome!
deep thoughts man…opposites attract but the distance between our opposites can seem so far as well….smiles….you bring up some cool concepts too…they hurt to think about but i dig it….we are infinitely complex. that is for sure.
Math has never appeared so beautiful. I might have paid attention if it would have offered such as this! I love it.
I’m fairly sure that Math can find an answer to everything in the universe–here it is showing off its diverse talents in every word.–I looked up Reiman Sphere and it just reeks of poetry and complexity, and what is love made of but that–all very well transcribed here.
this made me think of the relative distance – so close and so far…
I really like your line of just like zero and infinity are the limes of each other. Wonder word play with jargon there.
zero and infinity bring home the idea of microcosm and macrocosm..a
wonderful response to the prompt…
I was “helping” my 15 year old son with his Algebra 2/trig homework today, where he is learning of hyperbolas and how to both write the equations and graph. It’s been a while since I’ve attempted higher math. Fun… but frustrating. ~
You masterfully connected math concepts with poetic elements! The beauty and complexity of reality points to the designer of our universe…and the fact that opposites attract may be divine humor 🙂
Pure semantics!
Bravo and so masterfully riddled…oops someone else used that word!
Yes, I see the Golden Ratio in your poem ;D
There is a reason I had to repeat first year algebra and aced every other subject! You amazed me with this!
Mats for life~
where digits entice~
& theorems prove sans delight~
a verse like this~
sprouts surprise!! Great job Bjron 🙂
Haiku from your heart & soul. I like it a lot.
This concept is intriguing…I like the way you placed the language. Especially:
“all that lie between
zero and infinity is just
complexity of our reality”
Wow…deep work.
Am going to do a lot of reading on the subject for sure…fascinating.