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The Riemann Sphere is another imagination of the complex plane. In that imagination infinity is represented by the top pole of the sphere. Therefore it is imagined as only one single point.

But when we (in our lessons) deal with real numbers only, we image there is a +∞ and a -∞ (for example when talking about limits). Therefore my two questions: 1. Why is there no Riemann Circle for real numbers only? 2. Why is infinity in the real numbers not imagined as one point?

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    $\begingroup$ You might not be familiar with the projective line over an arbitrary field, but it is very well known to algebraic geometers. $\endgroup$
    – Ben McKay
    Oct 23, 2017 at 5:39
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    $\begingroup$ I think this would be a good question for math.stackexchange.com. The short answer is that there are several ways to compactify both $\mathbb R$ and $\mathbb C$, and all of them are useful in different contexts. $\endgroup$ Oct 23, 2017 at 7:50
  • $\begingroup$ Apologies for posting at the wrong spot. I thought the old math.stackoverflow just got its own domain. Is is possible to move this entry over to them? $\endgroup$
    – DarkTrick
    Oct 24, 2017 at 9:37

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If you allow the Riemann sphere then in it you could say you have the real line with one point at infinity.

However in Calculus $\infty$ and $-\infty$ are not really numbers or places. It is a convenient notation because some of what it makes you think you can do is correct, but you have to check.

The way to read $\lim_{x \rightarrow 1}f(x)=\infty$ is NOT "$f(x)$ converges to $\infty$." we say "$f(x)$ grows without bound (as $x$ goes to $1$)" or "$f(x)$ diverges to $\infty$."

However $\lim_{x \rightarrow 1}f(x)=\infty$ does suggest that $\lim_{x \rightarrow 1}\frac1{f(x)}=0.$ It is then easy to prove that is correct.

Also, we want to say $\lim_{x \rightarrow \infty} \arctan(x)=\frac{\pi}2$ while $\lim_{x \rightarrow -\infty} \arctan(x)=-\frac{\pi}2.$

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  • $\begingroup$ Whether infinity is or is not a number depends on context (because "number", unlike "real number", is an informal concept). In the projectively extended real number line, infinity is an actual mathematical object and the limits aren't just suggestive notation but actual limits. Your answer is, of course, correct for the real numbers. $\endgroup$ Feb 18 at 18:53

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