Infinity isn't a number
Asked by Opifex 7 years ago
So is there a rule against using a number with infinite digits? Like Phi rotated around the decimal value? I can't state that my life is infinity, but can it be an inverse irrational number?
For most purposes, the game only uses natural numbers for things. In some cases you can use negative integers, but that's as crazy as it gets. You can only choose natural numbers when asked to choose a number.
107.1. The only numbers the Magic game uses are integers
107.1b Most of the time, the Magic game uses only positive numbers and zero. You can't choose a negative number, deal negative damage, gain negative life, and so on. However, its possible for a game value, such as a creature's power, to be less than zero. If a calculation or comparison needs to use a negative value, it does so. If a calculation that would determine the result of an effect yields a negative number, zero is used instead, unless that effect sets a player's life total to a specific value, doubles a player's life total, sets a creature's power or toughness to a specific value, or otherwise modifies a creature's power or toughness.
March 25, 2017 7:28 p.m.
So the finite number I choose can only have a finite number of digits? The number I am suggesting can have a higher number and has no decimal places, just that it has an unlimited amount of digits. It only matters in rare cases of halving life totals looped.
March 25, 2017 7:47 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #4
A finite number cannot have an infinite number of digits; it wouldn't be a finite number.
Is there a reason you're asking? Most of the time, questions like this aren't based on any realistic scenario and are instead hypothetical, and there comes a point where it doesn't actually change anything in practice.
March 25, 2017 7:55 p.m.
A number that has an infinite set of digits cannot be undone with division, such as a looped Blood Tribute, but can only be stopped by a larger number with infinite digits (the difference between a finite set of digits and finite number and how the rules distinguish that)
March 25, 2017 9:03 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #6
The end result is still the same: someone will always be able to out-"infinite" you if given the opportunity, and in cases where nobody could initiate a combo, you'd win regardless of how "infinite" the number you chose. There's no case where it would matter much whether you picked a number with infinite digits or just picked 1 million.
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #1
107.1c If a rule or ability instructs a player to choose "any number," that player may choose any positive number or zero, unless something (such as damage or counters) is being divided or distributed among "any number" of players and/or objects. In that case, a nonzero number of players and/or objects must be chosen if possible.
You have to choose a finite number. At some point you're just squabbling over details, as most numbers over 100 will serve most purposes well enough.
Because you have to choose a finite number, anybody who has to choose a number later can just choose a higher number, so having a very high finite number isn't really going to get you anywhere in that case.
March 25, 2017 7:19 p.m.