What is infinity

1. What is infinity? Explain in your own words.

Infinity is the state of something that has no bounds or end. It always outgrows any number that one can ever imagine and goes further. In math, it’s often used to describe things that have no end or processes that can be continued forever. But it isn’t a big number; it’s an entirely different kind of concept with no boundary or endpoint.

2. Who first introduced you to the idea of infinity? How old were you? How did this new idea make you feel?

I think the first time I ever thought of infinity was in elementary school, where we learned about the number system and how numbers could just keep getting larger. I was only seven or eight at that time, but it was something that really made me curious, though a little bit overwhelmed. Understanding that there is no “biggest number” made me realize that some concepts are really beyond what we are fully able to grasp.

3. Describe either a conversation you had about infinity or an argument you had about infinity. Give us the details!

I once had a debate with my friend as to whether or not there’s a “biggest” infinity. My friend said that infinity is only one thing, whereas I had heard about the different “sizes” or types of infinity, such as the infinity of real numbers being “bigger” than the infinity of whole numbers. We went back and forth trying to explain it, and I remember realizing that infinity was more complex than I originally thought.

4. Find a reference to infinity in popular culture (a song, a movie, a product, a book, etc.). What does infinity mean in this context? Does it mean the same thing that it means in mathematics? Explain.

One of the most famous pop references to infinity is when, in the movie Toy Story, it says, “To infinity and beyond!” There, infinity symbolizes an idea of limitless possibilities and courage. It doesn’t mean infinity in a severe mathematical sense; in math, there is no actual “beyond” of infinity. Instead, it’s rather an inspirational catchphrase to encourage people to go beyond their limits.

5. Is infinity an important idea in your religion? Do you think that infinity in a religious setting refers to the same idea as infinity in mathematics? Why or why not?

In most religions, infinity has to do more with the eternity of the universe, soul, or god. It is, in some ways, more of a philosophical or spiritual kind of infinity that generally speaks to time without end or unlimited existence. While the mathematical concept of infinity is exact and applied in formulae, religious infinity is more abstract and deals with ideas beyond human comprehension.