The Infinite Cylinder of Number Systems: Geometric Unification of All Arithmetics
Abstract
We present a unified geometric framework that embeds all possible number sys-tems into a single three-dimensional structure: an infinite cylinder. Starting fromtwo parallel circular bases of diameter 1, each containing continuum-many points,we connect corresponding points with vertical segments. As the cylinder’s heightextends from 1 to infinity (h ∈ {1, 10, 100, 1000, . . . , googol, . . .} → ∞), each verticalsegment becomes a complete number line, and the cylinder maintains its geomet-ric identity. Since each base contains 2ℵ0 points, we obtain 2ℵ0 distinct verticalsegments—enough to accommodate every conceivable number system: R, ∗R, Qp,surreals, and infinitely many others. This construction provides a concrete 3D visu-alization where (1) the cylinder’s height literally becomes the number line extendingto infinity, (2) each vertical fiber represents a distinct arithmetic structure, and (3)all number systems coexist simultaneously in a unified geometric object. The modeldemonstrates that "the number line" is not unique but rather one selection from acontinuum of possible arithmetical structures.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Mathematics and Applications
History and Theory of Mathematics
Polynomial and algebraic computation
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
- Publication date
- 2 January 2026
- Language
- EN