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Unimaginable Numbers and Infinity Computing at School: An Experimentation in Northern Italy

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Numerical Computations: Theory and Algorithms (NUMTA 2023)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 14478))

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Abstract

In this paper we describe an experimentation carried out in a high school in northern Italy. The focus is to present to students new concepts of very big numbers and the infinite, studying their response, approaches, intuit and the suitability to apply in larger scale. In particular the new concepts and notations regard unimaginable numbers and the infinity computing. Several exercises have been suggested to students arousing much interest. Also a final test has been proposed and it is discussed in part in this paper. Among many observations and conclusions, we confirm a great ease of use of infinity computing by students and an almost immediate and intuitive degree of reception. Also unimaginable numbers, hyperoperations and Knuth’s powers proved highly educational value, but they are more difficult to master.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    In other words, consider the three average percentage values taken in the shape of an X: we find 72.39% (average value between 70.83% and 73.91%), 21.28 (average value between 20.83% and 21.74%), 6.34% (average value between 8.33% and 4.35%). Calculating the closest integer approximations on the basis of 24 male and 23 female students, we obtain precisely the values that appear in columns M and F of Table 1.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. IIS Palladio, via Tronconi 22, Treviso, Italy

    Luigi Antoniotti

  2. Department of Computer Engineering, Modeling, Electronics and Systems Engineering, University of Calabria, 87036, Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy

    Annabella Astorino

  3. Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Calabria, 87036, Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy

    Fabio Caldarola

Authors
  1. Luigi Antoniotti
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  2. Annabella Astorino
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  3. Fabio Caldarola
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Correspondence to Fabio Caldarola .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Calabria, Rende, Italy

    Yaroslav D. Sergeyev

  2. University of Calabria, Rende, Italy

    Dmitri E. Kvasov

  3. University of Calabria, Rende, Italy

    Annabella Astorino

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Antoniotti, L., Astorino, A., Caldarola, F. (2025). Unimaginable Numbers and Infinity Computing at School: An Experimentation in Northern Italy. In: Sergeyev, Y.D., Kvasov, D.E., Astorino, A. (eds) Numerical Computations: Theory and Algorithms. NUMTA 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 14478. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-81247-7_17

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