Author Topic: Is zero a number?  (Read 13361 times)

Offline dot-matrix

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Re: Is zero a number?
« Reply #30 on: July 31, 2007, 09:30:00 am »
OK David try this on:


In mathmatical terms Zero is a prime number. Zero is a positive integer,  Zero is an even number. 

Zero is both a number and a numerical digit.  As a numerical digit it is a place holder.  But Zero is also a number which quantifies a count or an amount of null size; that is, if the number of your brothers is zero, that means the same thing as having no brothers, and if something has a weight of zero, it has no weight.

To extrapolate your theory….If the difference between the number of pieces in two piles is zero, it means the two piles have an equal number of pieces. Before counting starts, the result can be assumed to be zero; that is the number of items counted before you count the first item and counting the first item brings the result to one. And if there are no items to be counted, zero remains the final result.

While mathematicians all accept zero as a number, some non-mathematicians would say that zero is not a number, arguing that one cannot have zero of something. Others hold that if one has a bank balance of zero, one has a specific quantity of money in that account, namely none. It is that latter view which is accepted by mathematicians and most others

Better ?
 ;)
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Offline David In Indy

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Re: Is zero a number?
« Reply #31 on: July 31, 2007, 12:48:56 pm »

While mathematicians all accept zero as a number, some non-mathematicians would say that zero is not a number, arguing that one cannot have zero of something. Others hold that if one has a bank balance of zero, one has a specific quantity of money in that account, namely none. It is that latter view which is accepted by mathematicians and most others


Ah HA!!! See? I'm not the only one who thinks like this.  :D

Yes it is better now Dottie. Thank you for taking all this time to explain it to me.

I'm very good with numbers. I can add, subtract and somtimes even multiply and divide large numbers in my head. But when it comes to understanding numerical concepts like zero, I'm just a big numbers dummy.  :(

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Offline dot-matrix

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Re: Is zero a number?
« Reply #32 on: July 31, 2007, 03:27:56 pm »
Ah HA!!! See? I'm not the only one who thinks like this.  :D

Yes it is better now Dottie. Thank you for taking all this time to explain it to me.

I'm very good with numbers. I can add, subtract and somtimes even multiply and divide large numbers in my head. But when it comes to understanding numerical concepts like zero, I'm just a big numbers dummy:(



You Sir are no DUMMY about ANYTHING.  You are very smart and very insightful and intuitative.  You often cut through to whats important and lead with your heart.  You are kind and considerate making everyone here feel welcome and special. I think most everyone here will agree with me.   I consider it a rare pleasure to have met you!  SO NO MORE PUTTING YOURSELF DOWN AT ALL... or you're gonna piss me off  ;)  and I'm not so pretty when I'm pissed off   :laugh:
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moremojo

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Re: Is zero a number?
« Reply #33 on: July 31, 2007, 03:31:53 pm »
...I'm just a big numbers dummy.
Sorry, David, but I'M the big numbers dummy around these parts! 8)

Offline Kelda

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Re: Is zero a number?
« Reply #34 on: July 31, 2007, 05:20:29 pm »
SO NO MORE PUTTING YOURSELF DOWN AT ALL... or you're gonna piss me off  ;)  and I'm not so pretty when I'm pissed off   :laugh:

I can imagine you are quite the scary woman Dottie!!!
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Offline dot-matrix

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Re: Is zero a number?
« Reply #35 on: July 31, 2007, 10:51:37 pm »
I can imagine you are quite the scary woman Dottie!!!

  Yeah!  I'm tough    LOL actually I didn't mean it that way...it's just David comes across as this really good guy and I get the feeling people maybe have hurt him in his life and maybe even taken advantage of him and I HATE to see him put himself down that way....that's all.... O.K. .... maybe I should just mind my own business  :-\
« Last Edit: July 31, 2007, 11:01:34 pm by dot-matrix »
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Offline David In Indy

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Re: Is zero a number?
« Reply #36 on: July 31, 2007, 11:18:06 pm »
  Yeah!  I'm tough    LOL actually I didn't mean it that way...it's just David comes across as this really good guy and I get the feeling people maybe have hurt him in his life and maybe even taken advantage of him and I HATE to see him put himself down that way....that's all.... O.K. .... maybe I should just mind my own business  :-\

I was just kidding Dottie!  :laugh:

I wasn't putting myself down. But I really do have a problem understanding things like this. That's why I was asking questions, so I could understand it. I've always wondered about zero.

And now I know!  :D
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mvansand76

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Re: Is zero a number?
« Reply #37 on: August 01, 2007, 10:07:18 am »
I was just kidding Dottie!  :laugh:

I wasn't putting myself down. But I really do have a problem understanding things like this. That's why I was asking questions, so I could understand it. I've always wondered about zero.

And now I know!  :D

You should've just listened to my explanation.... ::)

Offline Ellemeno

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Re: Is zero a number?
« Reply #38 on: August 02, 2007, 01:01:20 am »
I think Shasta said it well:

Example Question:

"Shasta--how many times have you kissed Jake Gyllenhaal?"

"I have kissed Jake Gyllenhaal exactly zero times. I am hoping to add to that however."



What about in binary?  Without 0, there would only be 1s.


Offline David In Indy

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Re: Is zero a number?
« Reply #39 on: August 03, 2007, 03:22:47 pm »

What about in binary?  Without 0, there would only be 1s.



Doesn't the zero in binary indicate the switch is closed (no data) and a one opens the switch allowing the information to flow through? I think I read that somewhere, but it was a very long time ago. It might not even be true anymore considering how fast technology changes. And I've had plenty of time to get it all mixed up!  :D
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