Is it a circle, or a line? (Portal question)

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GrinningManiac

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Another question:

If you had a portal on two surfaces, and then put those two surfaces face-to-face, would the portals create an infinite space between the two pressed-together objects, or would it create some kind of...ugh..I don't know, it hurts my head

(I know the Portal portals don't have this problem, but theoretically what's gonna happen?)
 

Calgetorix

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the Dept of Science said:
Its neither.

Its not a line because a line doesn't repeat itself (ie. if you follow a line you will never get back to the same point like in a circle).

Its not a circle either because it has no radius, which a circle must have by definition.

If it has to be one, its more likely to be a line.
I'm not sure if that is the definition of a line. Say you live on a sphere (like the Earth) and draw a long enough line that follow the surface. It will meet itself at some point.
 

NezumiiroKitsune

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Assuming that rope is only just long enough to achieve this knot, and therefore if pulled would result in the rope moving along through to the next dimensional portal rather than falling out, since it couldn't as the part that is meant to have fallen is at the other side, attatched to the end you're pulling through a 4th dimension. Assuming this is right, it's a loop along the 4th dimension, not a circle, or loop in the 2 or 3 dimensional sense. It would also mean the rope would very taught (as this is the extent the rope can stretch to tie the knot), and the only way to pull the end of the rope towards itself, or for simplicities sake "the two ends", would be to pull the walls the portals were created upon closer together. It also wouldn't be floating, but that's unimportant.
 

Maze1125

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It is most definitely a loop, as it returns to itself.
That doesn't mean that it can't also be a line.
We can't know precisely what shape it is as the particular physics of Aperture Science's portal technology has never been fully explained.

One thing we can be certain of is that it is not a circle as, at the very least, the part of it which passes through our space time is straight, and circles do not contain straight parts at all.
 

the Dept of Science

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Calgetorix said:
the Dept of Science said:
Its neither.

Its not a line because a line doesn't repeat itself (ie. if you follow a line you will never get back to the same point like in a circle).

Its not a circle either because it has no radius, which a circle must have by definition.

If it has to be one, its more likely to be a line.
I'm not sure if that is the definition of a line. Say you live on a sphere (like the Earth) and draw a long enough line that follow the surface. It will meet itself at some point.
Darn it, I didn't consider non-Euclidian geometry!

Back to the drawing board.
 

zfactor

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Calgetorix said:
the Dept of Science said:
Its neither.

Its not a line because a line doesn't repeat itself (ie. if you follow a line you will never get back to the same point like in a circle).

Its not a circle either because it has no radius, which a circle must have by definition.

If it has to be one, its more likely to be a line.
I'm not sure if that is the definition of a line. Say you live on a sphere (like the Earth) and draw a long enough line that follow the surface. It will meet itself at some point.
Then the line segment you drew is a circle, not a line. A line is an infinite number of points in a straight row; a circle is all points a specific distance (the radius) from another point. By that definition, the picture is a line segment (an infinite number of points bewteen any two points) because it does not continue on for infinity, it repeats for infinity (yes, there is a difference; the rope in the picture is occupying the same space, not repeating for infinity in any direction).

Good God, this is confusing...
 

Meganought

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Nov 11, 2009
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if a similar circumstance were to happen in reality, it would be a rope tied to its own end, which would make it a circle, or a loop. in this situation, the portals remove the vision of a circle from the human veiw, so it looks like a line but it is a loop.
but it is technically more of a mobius strip (the infinty loop thing, cant be arsed to find a pic, but it looks like the infinity sign)
 

kebab4you

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if it was a "circle" it would have to have curve somewhere

[small]if you understand[/small].
 

C95J

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Apr 10, 2010
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I would say it is a loop, but it depends which way you look at it.

It took me ages to figure out how it could be a loop :p I'm slow that way...
 

zfactor

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kebab4you said:
As I see it;

Because if it was a "circle" it would have to have curve somewhere

[small]if you understand[/small].
Actually, you want to view it from end to end through the portal so the right half is linked to the left half and tied together in the middle... Which makes it a line segment because that is what you started with (a part of rope)
 

imnot

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seckspest said:
well in this dimension its a line, through the dimensionS its a circle.

LieutenantShwa said:
Wait a second, what's holding it up?
What IS holding it up? :)
Invisible goblins, and its scientific name is qauntum leoplorul infinate loop
FACT.
 

Ekonk

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It's a line. A finite line that's also infinite because it goes through two portals.
 

kebab4you

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zfactor said:
kebab4you said:
Actually, you want to view it from end to end through the portal so the right half is linked to the left half and tied together in the middle... Which makes it a line segment because that is what you started with (a part of rope)
Ye I noticed I screwed up the picture so I edited my post, but to late I see.

But if you send in a rope that don't have any knots on it(i.e not round in anyway) into 1st portal and when it comes out from the 2nd portal you tie it together with what rope that haven't entered the 1st one yet, then it will be a "circle" as long as the portals are up, but the second you remove one it will cut the rope of, creating a line again.

Correct me if I'm wrong.