The Number Zero

We are surrounded by numbers everyday. From the temperature outside, the speed of our moving vehicles, the figures of our sales from the past month — all of these are numbers. Our brain has associated numbers as objective meaning they hold nothing more than a value. It is, however, rather interesting how these values always seem to make no sense when it comes to reality.

Have you ever thought about how redundant and elusive the number zero is? First of all, does it have a value? Well, yes. The value of zero is zero. Very paradoxical, if you ask me but makes sense. Who else would take the value of nothing? Zero would.

It’s also quite interesting how zero acts in exponents. When you use it as an exponent, the results will always be one. Now, this does not apply to all numbers. There is only one number that when you put into the base and use zero as the exponent, it will be undefined. The number: zero.

Also, when a value over zero is divided into zero, the result is undefined, yet the properties of the result and the mathematical logic behind it  seems to define the “value” of infinity, if ever does infinity have a value.

NumberPhile explains it fairly well:

According to the video, we cannot divide any real numbers by zero because by doing so, you can basically make any number equal to each other. It also talks about how making zero an exponent with zero as its base will not work.

We shouldn’t belittle the beauty of numbers. Math is an amazing world. It is the twelfth dimension and it is the foundation of our universe. Numbers are like masked heroes (to some, evil super villains). Each number may only hold a value, but that value is so significant.

Keep Chewing!