Is Zero a number?

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Lithium381

Lifer
May 12, 2001
12,452
2
0
yes, it's on my calculator!

when adding the revenue from last month....$286 deposit - $0 withdrawl = chaching 286
 

XZeroII

Lifer
Jun 30, 2001
12,572
0
0
Originally posted by: gopunk
of course it's a number, how can two numbers add to something that's not a number?

I don't know. Some people maintain the position that it isn't a number for some reason.
 

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
24,514
44
91
Originally posted by: XZeroII
Originally posted by: yowolabi
No it's not a number. Zero represents the lack of a number. It doesn't represent a value in itself.

So you think black is not a color?
That depends. Black ink? Or black meaning the lack of light? Black ink is by definition all colours. But black as in darkness is the absense of colour since it's a lack of light and light is a precondition for colour.

ZV
 

SSP

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
17,727
0
0
Originally posted by: SKORPI0
Zero, a number!

they used zero as a placeholder in another number. For example, in our notation: 216 is a different number than 2016. Zero, in its place-keeping function, is a kind of punctuation mark to help us interpret numbers correctly. Zero is a count of nothing.

I think that pretty much answered the question. And its been posted twice... yet people keep posting their opinions.
 
Mar 22, 2002
10,483
32
81
Originally posted by: XZeroII
Originally posted by: yowolabi
No it's not a number. Zero represents the lack of a number. It doesn't represent a value in itself.

So you think black is not a color?

Black is the absence of all color...

EDIT: Too lazy to debate so don't make any witty comments ;)
 

Howard

Lifer
Oct 14, 1999
47,982
11
81
Originally posted by: SagaLore
Originally posted by: XZeroII
Originally posted by: yowolabi
No it's not a number. Zero represents the lack of a number. It doesn't represent a value in itself.

So you think black is not a color?

Black is the absense of all color. :)
Black is all the pigments put togater
 

Turkish

Lifer
May 26, 2003
15,547
1
81
Zero is a number.

Ex.

Q: How many antennas do you have on your head?
A: Zero.

Hence, zero is a number as it presents a quantity.
 

yhelothar

Lifer
Dec 11, 2002
18,409
39
91
0 = real number, rational number
by your logic, the term "the number zero" wouldn't make sense...
 

Cyberian

Diamond Member
Jun 17, 2000
9,999
1
0
Originally posted by: Konigin
Yes, 0 is a number

Anything divided by 0 is the same number, just because its 0 doesn't mean its not a number.
I think you can be fined or go to jail for dividing by 0 -
Not until 1828, did a German, Martin Ohm, successfully handle this problem: simply by outlawing division by zero. It is forbidden; else one obtains untrue results using other rules of arithmetic.
 

WinkOsmosis

Banned
Sep 18, 2002
13,990
1
0
You have to be an idiot to think zero is not a number. If it represents a quantity, it is a number, whether that quanitity is 114 or 23 or 0.
 

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,601
167
111
www.slatebrookfarm.com
Originally posted by: Konigin
Yes, 0 is a number

Anything divided by 0 is the same number, just because its 0 doesn't mean its not a number.

EDIT: Sorry, yeah, duh, I knew that :)

Its infinite.

I'm going to blame your math teacher for being lazy on that one.... NO, anything divided by zero is NOT INFINITE! Division by zero is undefined... it makes absolutely no sense.

Where the infinite thing comes from is the limit of any non-zero number getting divided by something that is approaching zero is infinite... it's a limit problem. The divisor never actually reaches zero.
 

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,601
167
111
www.slatebrookfarm.com
btw, the argument about 0 being a number or not is on about the 3rd grade number....

The set of integers is: {. . ., -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, . . . } (bringing this to about the 7th grade level)

So, if you have the math ability of a 12 year old, 0 is a number.

Edit: to answer the question: "does anyone know what this whole controversy is about?"
The average person is innumerate.