Re: Calculus; paradoxes in mathematics

["Charles Brown" <CharlesB@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>>> david.welch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 04/20/01 11:27AM >>>
On Fri, Apr 20, 2001 at 09:51:36AM -0400, Charles Brown wrote:
> Why is it that one cannot divide by zero ? Seems like special pleading.
>
The definition of integer division is that a divides b if there exists
r and q such that a = r * b + q and 0 <= q < b (In words, a equals
r multiplied by b plus q and q is greater than or equal to zero and less
than b).  If b is zero then there are no pairs of numbers that satisfy
that equation for any a, as can easily be verified.

((((((((

CB:

Who originated this definition ?  Most division is done by people who don't use 
it.
Didn't division of integers exist before this definition ? Still seems like 
special
pleading, arbitrary definition. Isn't this definition introduced to avoid 
paradoxes of
some sort ?