10 Interesting Facts about Zero

All mathematicians must have described and found one of these following facts about zero really useful for their research, especially for those who are in mathematician major on college. Zero, a number, is both number and the numerical digit used to represent that number in numerals. It fulfills a central role in mathematics as the additive identity of the integers, real numbers and many other algebraic structure. As a digit, “0” (zero) is used as a placeholder in place value systems. To get to know much more about this number, here are some interesting facts about zero you may like.

Facts about zero 1: Strange Number

Zero is a very strange number. It is neither positive or negative. If you add or subtract zero to any number, that number stays the same. If you multiply any number by zero, you get zero.

Facts about zero 2: Zero

Any number raised to the power of zero is one, so 2⁰=1. However, it gets even worse. You cannot divide a number by zero. You cannot take the zeroth root of a number. It’s hard to say what 0⁰ is.

Facts about zero 3: Extremely Important

It is used  as an empty place indicator in our place-value number system. Hence in a number like 1502 , the zero is used so that the positions of the 1 and 5 are correct. Clearly 152 means something quite different

Facts about zero 4: Derivation

The name “zero” derives ultimately from the Arabic “sifr” which also gives us the word “cipher”.

Facts about zero 5: Omicron

The first use of the symbol which we recognize today as the notation for zero “0”  is omicron, the first letter of the Greek word for nothing namely “ouden”.

Facts about zero 6: Brahmagupta

Brahmagupta attempted to give the rules for arithmetic involving zero and negative numbers in the seventh century.

Facts about zero 7: Addition Rules

Brahmagupta gave the rules for addition which involve zero, that is, “The sum of zero and a negative number is negative, the sum of a positive number and zero is positive, the sum of zero and zero is zero”.  

Facts about zero 8: Subtraction Rules

He gave the rules for subtraction which involve zero, that is, “A negative number subtracted from zero is positive, a positive number subtracted from zero is negative, zero subtracted from a negative number is negative, zero subtracted from a positive number is positive, zero subtracted from zero is zero”. 

Facts about zero 9: Modern Usage

There are different words used for the number or concept of zero depending on the context. For the simple notion of lacking, the words “nothing” and “none” are often used, while “nought”, “naught” and “aught” are archaic and poetic forms with the same meaning.

Facts about zero 10: As A Year Label

In the BC calendar era, the year 1 BC is the first year before AD 1; no room is reserved for a year zero. By contrast, in astronomical year numbering, the year 1 BC is numbered 0, the year 2 BC is numbered ?1, and so on.

Hope you found those following zero facts really interesting and useful for especially, your research.