Ad infinitum explained

Ad infinitum is a Latin phrase meaning "to infinity" or "forevermore".

Description

In context, it usually means "continue forever, without limit" and this can be used to describe a non-terminating process, a non-terminating repeating process, or a set of instructions to be repeated "forever," among other uses. It may also be used in a manner similar to the Latin phrase et cetera to denote written words or a concept that continues for a lengthy period beyond what is shown. Examples include:

The 17th-century writer Jonathan Swift incorporated the idea of self-similarity in the following lines from his satirical poem On Poetry: a Rhapsody (1733):

The vermin only teaze and pinchTheir foes superior by an inch.So, naturalists observe, a fleaHas smaller fleas that on him prey;And these have smaller still to bite 'em,And so proceed ad infinitum.Thus every poet, in his kind,Is bit by him that comes behind[1]
The mathematician Augustus De Morgan included similar lines in his rhyme Siphonaptera.[2]

See also

References

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Notes and References

  1. Book: Swift, Jonathan . On Poetry: a Rhapsody . 1733 . 14 December 2017.
  2. Book: De Morgan, Augustus . A Budget of Paradoxes . Smith . David Eugene . 2nd . II . 1915 . 191.