Is zero a number?

Answer 1

From wikipedia:
0 (zero) is both a number and a numerical digit used to represent that number in numerals. As a number, zero means nothing — an absence of other values. It plays a central role in mathematics as the additive identity of the integers, real numbers, and many other algebraic structures. As a digit, zero is used as a placeholder in place value systems.

0 is the integer that precedes the positive 1, and follows −1. In most (if not all) numerical systems, 0 was identified before the idea of 'negative integers' was accepted.

Zero is an integer which quantifies a count or an amount of null size; that is, if the number of your brothers is zero, that means the same thing as having no brothers, and if something has a weight of zero, it has no weight. If the difference between the number of pieces in two piles is zero, it means the two piles have an equal number of pieces. Before counting starts, the result can be assumed to be zero; that is the number of items counted before you count the first item and counting the first item brings the result to one. And if there are no items to be counted, zero remains the final result.

While mathematicians all accept zero as a number, some non-mathematicians would say that zero is not a number, arguing one cannot have zero of something. Others hold that if you have a bank balance of zero, you have a specific quantity of money in your account, namely none. It is that latter view which is accepted by mathematicians and most others.

Answer 2

0 (zero) is both a number and a numerical digit used to represent that number in numerals. As a number, zero means nothing — an absence of other values. It plays a central role in mathematics as the additive identity of the integers, real numbers, and many other algebraic structures. As a digit, zero is used as a placeholder in place value systems. Historically, it was the last digit to come into use. In the English language, zero may also be called nil when a number, o/oh when a numeral, and nought/naught in either context.

Answer 3

Depends how do you define a number. If number is defined as (from wiki)
"A number is a mathematical concept used to describe and assess quantity. It is an abstract entity representing a quantity, used to express how many things are being referred to, or how much there is of some thing or property; an arithmetical value corresponding to a particular quantity of something."
Then zero is of course a number. And this is the most important number human being has invented till date. Without zero, there is no computer and no scientific invention - as simple as that.

About who has invented, an Arab has invented zero, as someone has replied, is one of the common errors most people do today. The zero that we use today was invented by the ancient Indians - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_mathematics

Answer 4

Yes and No!

Zero was invented, probably by Arab mathematicians, to bundle numbers, in their case using decimal notation, into groups of ten, an hundred a thousand and so on on. If zero were really a "number" it would have a constant value like "X" or "V" in the Roman mathematics.

Without Zero advanced mathematics can hardly be imagined.

Answer 5

Yes, a real number is used to define a certain quantity, and zero(associated with the quantity nothing) is indeed a number.

Origin: Mathematicians in the Gupta empire(India) invented the first symbol for zero, a dot, and connected it with the idea of nothing

Answer 6

For the use of mathematics, zero is a number.
But in actual fact, both zero and infinity are concepts, and cannot be physically proved.

Answer 7

Zero is a number. It does not exist in the Roman numeral system. It has been in use in India since time immemorial and was propagated to the West by Arab traders who traveled to India and the West. It was not discovered or invented by the Arabs. The decimal system in use today, which consists of the digits 0-9 originated in India.

However, there are other theories like these:
http://www.sciam.com/askexpert_question.cfm?chanID=sa005&articleID=000A41D6-B959-1C71-9EB7809EC588F2D7&topic_id=11

http://www.mathmojo.com/interestinglessons/originofzero/originofzero.html

Answer 8

Zero is believed to be a value...neither negative or positive integer...u kno...its like neutral....zero is a number but not exactly!

Answer 9

its a value of a number - but in it's self it is zero and not a number

Answer 10

It most certainly is.
Arithmetic without the zero became difficult so the Indian's invented it thousands of years ago.