Packetfury.net

Divide by zero. It is a killer. It has crashed computers, it has wrecked research, it has crashed countless models, be it automotive, aeronautic or even space. It is an impossibility, and the impossible can be a killer. It can also keep you up until 4am talking about the joys of mathematics.

Reminder. Computers. Computers are only as intelligent as the programmer (and even then...). They are stupid machines that can only deal with certain numbers, and do certain things. What makes them flexible is the programs embedded into their memory. They count in binary, and even if some programs allow you to use fractions, imaginary numbers or entire sequences, it all boils down to binary at one point or another.It also boils down to basic mathematics; plus, minus, multiply, divide. Divide. What is a division?

Laws of computers, especially the law of divide by zero. Don't. Division by x is the same as multiplying by x's inverse number. An inverse number is the number where number x inverse = 1. Multiply anything by zero and you get zero. Therefore, zero does not have an inverse, and therefore you cannot multiply by the inverse of zero, therefore you cannot divide by zero.

An inverse of zero "exists", but not in any series of real numbers, and binary can only deal with real numbers.  Some toolkits detect a divide by zero, and quit quietly. Some languages scream. Some languages crash, root the machine and make it very, very angry. Worst case scenario, unplug the power and replugging.