certain type of mistaken proof
{\displaystyle 1={\sqrt {1}}={\sqrt {(-1)(-1)}}={\sqrt {-1}}{\sqrt {-1}}=i\cdot i=-1.}
In mathematics, certain kinds of mistaken proof are often exhibited, and sometimes collected, as illustrations of a concept called mathematical fallacy. There is a distinction between a simple mistake and a mathematical … Wikipedia
🌐
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Mathematical_fallacy
Mathematical fallacy - Wikipedia
January 26, 2026 - Mathematical analysis as the mathematical study of change and limits can lead to mathematical fallacies — if the properties of integrals and differentials are ignored. For instance, a naïve use of integration by parts can be used to give a false proof that 0 = 1:
🌐
HMC Math
math.hmc.edu › funfacts › one-equals-zero
One Equals Zero! – Math Fun Facts
The following is a “proof” that one equals zero. ... x = y. Then x2 = xy. Subtract the same thing from both sides: x2 – y2 = xy – y2. Dividing by (x-y), obtain x + y = y. Since x = y, we see that 2 y = y. Thus 2 = 1, since we started with y nonzero. Subtracting 1 from both sides, 1 = 0.
🌐
Nathanmarz
nathanmarz.com › blog › proof-that-1-0-using-a-common-logical-fallacy.html
Proof that 1 = 0 using a common logical fallacy - thoughts from the red planet - thoughts from the red planet
The logic of this proof is that since we can reduce x*0 = 0 to the identity axiom, x*0 = 0 is true. Unfortunately, this is not logically sound. Now I don't mean to pick on Daniel Levine. He's a really smart guy. I've made this same mistake, and only when I lost points on problem sets a number of times did I really understand the fallacy of this logic. To show why this logic is unsound, here's a "proof" that 1 = 0:
🌐
Quora
quora.com › How-do-I-prove-0-1
How to prove 0=1 - Quora
Answer (1 of 10): We knew that- 0–0 = 1–1 so now let's take 0 and 1 both as common 0(1–1) =1(1–1) 0 = 1(1–1)/(1–1) 0 = 1 Hence proved . You can solve it by this method but it's wrong as 0 and 1 can’t be equal . (^_-)-☆ :) :D
🌐
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
"PROVE" 0 = 1 Using Integral Calculus - Where Is The Mistake? - YouTube
This is a false proof of why 0 = 1 using a bit of integral calculus. Can you figure out where the mistake is?My blog post for this video:https://wp.me/p6aMk-...
Published   August 10, 2017
🌐
Mathforum
mathforum.org › dr.math › faq › faq.false.proof.html
Mathforum
We cannot provide a description for this page right now
🌐
MIT DSpace
dspace.mit.edu › bitstream › handle › 1721.1 › 100853 › 18-304-spring-2006 › contents › projects › fallacy_yuan.pdf pdf
Xing Yuan Spring 2007 18.304
unfortunate mistakes, equally valuable lessons can be learned through the understanding of why · such fallacy proofs were able to take on the façade of a real proof. In this paper, I aim to explore · a few of such fallacy proofs and the lessons that may be extracted from their presence. 1=0 ·
Find elsewhere
🌐
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
🧠 Can You Spot the Mistake? Fun Math Puzzle: Does 0 = 1? 🎉 - YouTube
🧠 Can You Spot the Mistake? Fun Math Puzzle: Does 0 = 1? 🎉In this fun and puzzling video, I present a mind-boggling mathematical "proof" that seems to show...
Published   April 25, 2011
🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/mathmemes › proof that 1 = 0 (it's legit)
r/mathmemes on Reddit: Proof That 1 = 0 (It's Legit)
February 28, 2024 - You made a mistake, OP. In the last line you jump straight from sqrt(1) to 1 without acknowledging the (previously used, I might add) fact that sqrt(1) = ±1. Really this should be proving that 1 = 0 = -1. ... Theorem: 0=1. Proof: We are working in the trivial ring.
🌐
LessWrong
lesswrong.com › posts › vhLKiDk5RZNQrfiDK › can-you-prove-that-0-1
Lesswrong
Well, this website was actually created around a long sequence of posts trying to teach people how to think more clearly and avoid making precisely this kind of mistakes. ... Consider modular arithmetic with modulo 1. It is true that 0+0=0, 1+1=1, and indeed 0=1.
🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/mathmemes › actual proof that 0 = 1
r/mathmemes on Reddit: ACTUAL PROOF that 0 = 1
June 15, 2023 - Any non-trivial ring has an element a ≠ 0. Then if 0 = 1, 0 = 0 • a = 1 • a = a, contradiction ... You have to proof that in any ring 0 ⋅ a =0 and that might be quite challenging, at least if someone didn't do simmilar stuff before (if ...
🌐
Skulls in the Stars
skullsinthestars.com › 2008 › 12 › 12 › spot-the-math-errors
Spot the math errors! | Skulls in the Stars
December 16, 2008 - When you do integration by parts, you come from the supposition that (uv)’ = u’v + uv’ if you do u = -cosx and v = 1/cosx (u*v)’ = 0 the error comes when you do the opposite passage in integration of both sides, creating solutions that do not match, (in integration by parts is done this integration implicitly) and therefore creating that fake proof. ^^ deeply, the same kind of mistake commited in the more simple algebric problems demonstrated, assumpting a ‘probable’ solution that is not the correct ^^
Top answer
1 of 1
7

For a function $f: A \to B$,

we use the notation $f(...)$ for two different things:

  1. If $a\in A$, then $f(a)$ is the element of $B$ to which the element $a$ is mapped.
  2. If $S\subseteq A$, then $f(S)$ is defined as $f(S)=\{f(s)|s\in S\}$.

You mix the two things up when you say that $\mathsf{Succ}(\emptyset)=\emptyset$. The statement is only true under interpretation (2) above, but you use it as if it was true under interpretation (1).

Under interpretation 1, $f(\emptyset) = \{\emptyset\}$.


To use unambiguous symbols, let's write functions as what they really are: relations.

Every function $f:A\to B$ is in fact a relation, i.e. a subset of $A\times B$, which satisfies the property that if $(a, b_1)\in f$ and $(a, b_2)\in f$, then $b_1=b_2$. The usual shorthand for $(a, b)\in f$ is $f(a)=b$, but in this case, the shorthand can cause confusion, so we will not use it.

We can still use the expression $f(S)$ for what it was before, so we can say that $f(S)=\{b| (a, b)\in f \land a\in S\}$.

OK, with these definitions, let's rewrite the "proof" and see the error jump out at us:


Proof: Let $\mathsf{Succ}$ be the function that takes any natural number and adds one to it. Then we have $(0, 1)\in \mathsf{Succ}$. The image of $\mathsf{Succ}$ on the empty set is of course empty; so we have $\mathsf{Succ}(\emptyset) = \emptyset$ and since by our definition of the natural numbers $0 = \emptyset$ this means $(0,0)\in \mathsf{Succ}$. This gets us $0 = 1$ as desired. $\Box$

The error in reasoning is clear now. The (true) statement $$\mathsf{Succ}(\emptyset)=\emptyset$$ is not the same as the (untrue) statement $$(\emptyset, \emptyset)\in\mathsf{Succ},$$ but in the final sentence, that's exactly what is assumed.

🌐
Hillel Wayne
hillelwayne.com › post › divide-by-zero
1/0 = 0
August 10, 2018 - All we know is that we cannot use this theorem to argue they are equal. Since the “proof” that 1 = 0 used that theorem, the proof is unsound. Pretty much every counterargument makes this exact same mistake: it assumes that because 1/0 is now defined, there is now some 0⁻ that generalizes ...
🌐
Pleacher
pleacher.com › mp › mhumor › onezero2.html
Proof that one equals zero (Using Algebra)
Proof that zero equals two (Using Algebra) Given that a and b are integers such that a = b, Prove: 0 = 2 1. a = b 1. Given 2. a - b - 2 = a - b - 2 2. Reflexive Prop. of = 3. a(a - b - 2) = b(a - b - 2) 3. Multiplication Prop. of = 4. a2 - ab - 2a = ab - b2 - 2b 4. Distributive Property 5. ...
🌐
Hacker News
news.ycombinator.com › item
It's very important to note here that 0^0=1 is a *shorthand* and not a *truth*. ... | Hacker News
April 6, 2014 - Mathematicians are absolutely not stating that they have proven, or that it is true, that 0^0=1. It is a definition, not a claim of equality. They're not saying "0^0 is 1" in the sense that they say "1+1 is 2" or "0.999... is 1". They're saying "we define 0^0 to be 1". The difference is more ...
🌐
Physics Forums
physicsforums.com › mathematics › general math
Is the equation 0!=1 based on flawed reasoning? • Physics Forums
April 16, 2022 - Finally: it drives me to distraction every time I see the above n!=n(n-1)! equation used to justify the 0! =1 proposition. If it is, for example, being taught in schools, it is maybe tantamount to ... I hesitate in using too strong language ... at least misleading. I make comments on You Tube channels that insist on repeating what I see as a fallacy but I have had no responses. I hope this forum can offer some insights because my 'proof' that using the equation is wriong may indeed be flawed...