We heard recently about a third-grade teacher teaching her student that “1 divided by zero is zero”. What??!!!

What makes matters even worse is that, according to the report, the principal agreed with the teacher when confronted! So, apparently, both the teacher and principal lacked third-grade math knowledge (see fictitious image above).

This solution is totally nonsensical. Do we honestly have teachers teaching our kids this incorrect math?

Furthermore, when confronted with solid (basic math, in this case) evidence to the contrary it’s not clear if they modified their “belief”. So much for the scientific method, let alone third-grade math not understood by adults in the US educational system (including math teachers and principals, apparently).

While we certainly agree that in the “limit” as x->0, (1/x) would approach infinity. But “at” zero, 1/0 is still undefined. Learning about limits isn’t typically taught in the third-grade, yet, however.

The basic division test: As you would do with a result like 15/5 = 3 where you can multiply the result by the denominator to get the numerator (in this case 3 * 5 = 15), with 1/0 what number do you multiply the denominator by to get 1? In other words what number, times zero is 1? Answer: there isn’t one!

Here’s an intertaining YouTube video:

This video, while very well done, it’s depressing that someone actually had to make it.

Consider other videos where people are asked on the street what is 2 x 2 x 2 and cannot answer correctly. Or when asked “what is 15/3”. Nope, lots got that wrong also. When asked what time it is at a quarter after 6, many answer 6:25. “How many dimes in a dollar?” ….

With an estimated 40% of students unable to read by some reports, having a teacher who is teaching math but does not know basic math that he or she is teaching is a flashing red light — yet another one — that our educational system in the US is beyond broken.

In other news … what about the college student at the University of Connecticut that graduated from High School but can neither read nor write? This student was not “functionally” illiterate, but actually illiterate.

In Summary:

1/0 is undefined.

0/1 is zero.

Food for thought

0/0 is another special case (also not zero or 1). Zero divided by zero is undefined in standard arithmetic. This one is easy to prove also.
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