I agree, Lloyd, but mathematicians don't agree with each other and I wanted to know if there is presently a leaning to one side or the other.
Some of the arguments are as follows:
"In
mathematics, the
recurring decimal 0.999… , denotes a
real number equal to
1. In other words, "0.999…" represents the same number as the symbol "1". The equality has long been accepted by professional mathematicians and taught in textbooks. Various
proofs of this identity have been formulated with varying
rigour, preferred development of the real numbers, background assumptions, historical context, and target audience."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.999