No such thing as 0

[AndStilliRise]

It has occurred to me that there is no such thing as 0. You can't have 0 of something as that would imply that 0 is more than nothing. However if 0 is nothing then why don't we use this instead? Using a computer or programming would be much easier dealing with two states rather than 3.

Would anyone agree with me? Or have I got this wrong (possible but not probable)?

[Butter Face]

Eh?

0 is nothing, if you have 0 of something then you have none of it.

[Purity14]

Null

[Vipers]

My car outside is doing zero mph.

Ambient pressure is zero by gauge, but one atmosphere absolute, so I don't quite follow your thinking.

We have absolute temperature as well.

[AndStilliRise]

Butter Face said:

Eh?

0 is nothing, if you have 0 of something then you have none of it.

That's what I am saying. If you have 0 of something you have something of something. Why not just say you have either a minimal of 1 or nothing.

[Dr Jekyll]

It makes calculations easier.

[deckster]

AndStilliRise said:

Butter Face said:

Eh?

0 is nothing, if you have 0 of something then you have none of it.

That's what I am saying. If you have 0 of something you have something of something. Why not just say you have either a minimal of 1 or nothing.

As above. Zero is different to null.

Also, maths.

[anonymous-user]

like nothing degrees of latitude or centigrade or rotation? Doesnt work so well in that context

[Einion Yrth]

add 312 to 402, show your workings.
Are you seriously trying to suggest that one of the most important and transformative mathematical concepts of the last 4000 years doesn't exist?

1. ~~???

[98elise]

Purity14 said:

Null

Null isn't zero, it's an unknown value (from a code perspective anyway).

[Dr Jekyll]

Einion Yrth said:

add 312 to 402, show your workings.
Are you seriously trying to suggest that one of the most important and transformative mathematical concepts of the last 4000 years doesn't exist?

1. ~~???

Actually can we keep zero but get rid of 312? It's a really annoying number and I don't think I ever use it.

[Einion Yrth]

98elise said:

Purity14 said:

Null

Null isn't zero, it's an unknown value (from a code perspective anyway).

In debug code it's usually 0x0c0c0c0c;, oddly when programmers at our shop don't guard properly I'm seeing 0x000000018
I have no idea why.

[TheInternet]

Next you'll be telling me I can't have -1 loaves of bread or y pints of milk.

[FredClogs]

Indian invention wasn't it? It certainly came after the other "numbers". It's a form of infinity.

As others have said its just there to complete the vocabulary and make sense of 2-2.

[poing]

Of course there is such a thing as zero, how else would you measure things? It does't have to be physical to exist.

[valiant]

Try dividing by zero. That's where the fun begins (or ends depending on how you look upon these things )

[Hoofy]

I think you need to read up on Number Theory.

[MiggyA]

So, how many times have you personally been to the moon?

[Shuvi McTupya]

MiggyA said:

So, how many times have you personally been to the moon?

I haven't ever been to the moon.

I have been zero times sounds silly

[anonymous-user]

All the energy is the universe is zero. We are something, but all positive energy is cancelled by negative energy.