Posts: 1121
Threads: 53
Joined: February 5, 2013
Reputation:
15
What is Zero (0)?
August 8, 2013 at 10:51 pm
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)
Posts: 2171
Threads: 4
Joined: July 24, 2013
Reputation:
33
RE: What is Zero (0)?
August 8, 2013 at 10:53 pm
A terrible abomination unto Coca-Cola?
Posts: 10470
Threads: 165
Joined: May 29, 2013
Reputation:
53
RE: What is Zero (0)?
August 8, 2013 at 11:42 pm
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
Posts: 69247
Threads: 3759
Joined: August 2, 2009
Reputation:
259
RE: What is Zero (0)?
August 8, 2013 at 11:46 pm
The credibility of the catholic church?
Posts: 23918
Threads: 300
Joined: June 25, 2011
Reputation:
151
RE: What is Zero (0)?
August 9, 2013 at 12:35 am
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?
Posts: 1121
Threads: 53
Joined: February 5, 2013
Reputation:
15
RE: What is Zero (0)?
August 9, 2013 at 6:06 am
(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)
Posts: 2968
Threads: 10
Joined: June 2, 2012
Reputation:
44
RE: What is Zero (0)?
August 9, 2013 at 10:20 am
I am Zero.
Posts: 1424
Threads: 65
Joined: February 11, 2013
Reputation:
26
RE: What is Zero (0)?
August 9, 2013 at 11:44 am
ronedee Wrote:Science doesn't have a good explaination for water
Posts: 23918
Threads: 300
Joined: June 25, 2011
Reputation:
151
RE: What is Zero (0)?
August 9, 2013 at 2:08 pm
Well that was fun. Thank you oh clean shaven one.
Posts: 1121
Threads: 53
Joined: February 5, 2013
Reputation:
15
RE: What is Zero (0)?
August 23, 2013 at 10:58 am
(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)
|
![[Image: YAAgdMk.gif]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=i.imgur.com%2FYAAgdMk.gif)
