Why is Zero a number?

[Patrick Chewing]

And I'm referring to the single digit "0" by itself and not after a number to indicate a completion or beginning of a new cycle of numbers. Just referring to zero by itself. If it has no value, why does it exist?

[Akrazotile]

And I'm referring to the single digit "0" by itself and not after a number to indicate a completion or beginning of a new cycle of numbers. Just referring to zero by itself. If it has no value, why does it exist?

edit, nevermind I see you already referred to the concept of numbering 10, 20, 30.


I dunno. That's the only reason I can think of.

[90sgoat]

For reasons of math, that I don't know.

It's a big deal tho. Without the zero you can't do most math.

[Akrazotile]

For reasons of math, that I don't know.

It's a big deal tho. Without the zero you can't do most math.

Or describe most liberals.

[tpols]

Tio the use of binary code 1=yes 0=no is how you're even posting this thread right now as it was logical backbone for the evolution of computer science.

[DCL]

the letter "a" has no numeric value. that is the kind of nothing in your reasoning.

however, zero does have a numeric value, and that numeric value is 0. even though that value is nothing, it still has a place in quantifying numeric value.

that nothing is different from the nothing of a letter in the alphabet.

[egokiller]

You need a numeric digit to represent

[baudkarma]

Zero is a number because we need a way to indicate the lack of something. If you're putting apples in different boxes and writing on each box how many apples are inside, you need way to convey the information if one of the boxes doesn't have any apples in it at all. The concept of zero as a number in its own right didn't come around until hundreds of years after humans started counting thing and writing number down.

[Prometheus]

Do you understand why there are negative numbers?

[72-10]

It is not a natural number, but it is an integer.

[TheMan]

Because according to Ian and Tony, zero is a hero

[NumberSix]

Why is ‘C’ a letter?

[iamgine]

And I'm referring to the single digit "0" by itself and not after a number to indicate a completion or beginning of a new cycle of numbers. Just referring to zero by itself. If it has no value, why does it exist?

Because there are uses for it. One of the use of numbers are to describe quantity. The number 2 is used to describe 2 of something. The number 0 is used to describe none of something.

[Rolando]

Geometrically, you need an origin. No zero, no origin.

[kennethgriffen]

a number is the amount of something


its possibly to have nothing of something. so the number is zero of that item