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What is Zero (0)?
#1
What is Zero (0)?
Anybody?





MM
"The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions" - Leonardo da Vinci

"I think I use the term “radical” rather loosely, just for emphasis. If you describe yourself as “atheist,” some people will say, “Don’t you mean ‘agnostic’?” I have to reply that I really do mean atheist, I really do not believe that there is a god; in fact, I am convinced that there is not a god (a subtle difference). I see not a shred of evidence to suggest that there is one ... etc., etc. It’s easier to say that I am a radical atheist, just to signal that I really mean it, have thought about it a great deal, and that it’s an opinion I hold seriously." - Douglas Adams (and I echo the sentiment)
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#2
RE: What is Zero (0)?
A terrible abomination unto Coca-Cola?
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#3
RE: What is Zero (0)?
The word zero came via French zéro from Venetian zero, which (together with cypher) came via Italian zefiro from Arabic صفر, ṣafira = "it was empty", ṣifr = "zero", "nothing". This was a translation of the Sanskrit word shoonya (śūnya), meaning "empty". The first known English use was in 1598.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero

Interesting word. And I knew a girl with the last name Zeffiro in PA. She was from Lawn Guyland and lives in VA now.
"For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring." - Carl Sagan
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#4
RE: What is Zero (0)?
The credibility of the catholic church?
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#5
RE: What is Zero (0)?
The difference between any number and itself? The identity element for addition? One of the factors in any zero product? The only number of partitions into which it is not possible to successfully divide another number? No, I'm not sure. What really is zero then?
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#6
RE: What is Zero (0)?
(August 9, 2013 at 12:35 am)whateverist Wrote: What really is zero then?

Exactly!

I'd agree with all that's been posted so far, but having had a look round the weird wide web it does seem that no one really knows what zero is precisely. The general consensus seems to be that it is not 'nothing' per se.

Here's an extract from 'what is' that does sum up some of the main mathematical points neatly;

1. In a positional number system, a place indicator meaning "no units of this multiple." For example, in the decimal number 1,041, there is one unit in the thousands position, no units in the hundreds position, four units in the tens position, and one unit in the 1-9 position.

2. An independent value midway between +1 and -1.

In writing outside of mathematics, depending on the context, various denotative or connotative meanings for zero include "total failure," "absence," "nil," and "absolutely nothing." ("Nothing" is an even more abstract concept than "zero" and their meanings sometimes intersect.)

(Full entry here - Zero)

Some interesting POVs from the sci-fi forum (apologies, it needs picking through)

(sci-fi forum - the philosophy of zero)

I didn't really want to get into philosophy here so any mathematical weirdness about zero would be interesting to me. (Maybe there's a need to open this up in the philosophy forum?)


MM
"The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions" - Leonardo da Vinci

"I think I use the term “radical” rather loosely, just for emphasis. If you describe yourself as “atheist,” some people will say, “Don’t you mean ‘agnostic’?” I have to reply that I really do mean atheist, I really do not believe that there is a god; in fact, I am convinced that there is not a god (a subtle difference). I see not a shred of evidence to suggest that there is one ... etc., etc. It’s easier to say that I am a radical atheist, just to signal that I really mean it, have thought about it a great deal, and that it’s an opinion I hold seriously." - Douglas Adams (and I echo the sentiment)
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#7
RE: What is Zero (0)?
I am Zero.
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#8
RE: What is Zero (0)?
Ah, the mystery of zero. When in doubt, consult Numberphile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRRolKTlF6Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t1TC-5OLdM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfk_L4Nx2ZI
ronedee Wrote:Science doesn't have a good explaination for water

[Image: YAAgdMk.gif]



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#9
RE: What is Zero (0)?
Well that was fun. Thank you oh clean shaven one.
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#10
RE: What is Zero (0)?
(August 9, 2013 at 11:44 am)CleanShavenJesus Wrote: Ah, the mystery of zero. When in doubt, consult Numberphile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRRolKTlF6Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t1TC-5OLdM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfk_L4Nx2ZI

Excellent! Great posts.

MM
"The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions" - Leonardo da Vinci

"I think I use the term “radical” rather loosely, just for emphasis. If you describe yourself as “atheist,” some people will say, “Don’t you mean ‘agnostic’?” I have to reply that I really do mean atheist, I really do not believe that there is a god; in fact, I am convinced that there is not a god (a subtle difference). I see not a shred of evidence to suggest that there is one ... etc., etc. It’s easier to say that I am a radical atheist, just to signal that I really mean it, have thought about it a great deal, and that it’s an opinion I hold seriously." - Douglas Adams (and I echo the sentiment)
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