by Can Tran

Created on: December 10, 2008

Everything begins with zero and ends with zero. Zero or "0" is a number and numerical digit to represent a number in numerals. In any sort of mathematics, the number zero plays a crucial value. It is also called "null," "nil," "naught", "zip", and "shit." It could be called "diddly squawt." In place value systems or positional notation, zero plays a very vital role in place holding.

Some examples would be: 1-10, 100-1,000, 1,000-10,000, 10,000-100,000, and 100,000-1,000,000.

In decimals, you would have 1.0. Zero is a very important place holder in regards to decimals.

In telling time, zero plays an important place holder at the start of minutes and hours. The start of one minute would be: 1:00.

As a number alone, zero is the neutral ground, the starting point, or the center point. As a number, zero is neither positive nor negative.
In regards to positive and negative numbers, zero is the starting point.

If you go the positive route, you could count after zero in this manner: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

If you go the negative route, you could count after zero in this manner: -1, -2, -3, -4, -5, and -6.
The minus sign or "-" denotes that the numbers are going into the negatives. As a result, zero is neither negative nor positive. Zero is strictly a neutral number.

This does correlate with the rules of Brahmagupta in the book "Brahmasputha Siddharta," which translates into "The Opening of the Universe."

The rules are:

The sum of zero and a negative number is negative.

The sum of zero and a positive number is positive.

The sum of zero and zero is zero.

The sum of a positive and a negative is their difference; or, if they equal, zero.

A positive or negative number when divided by zero is a fraction with the zero as denominator.

Zero divided by a negative or positive number is either zero or is expressed as a fraction with zero as numerator and the finite quality as denominator.

Zero divided by zero is zero.

This plays into the importance of zero as a neutral number and a placeholder for number values.
But, all forms of mathematics require the use of zero.

In bar graphs, zero is the starting point. From there, the bar graph rises. Depending on what type of bar graph is used, the bars could remain at zero or drop down to zero. In that respect, zero is the starting point and the ending point.

In a line graph, zero is the point in which the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis intersect with each other. Plus, zero is the center of the positive and negative points of all three of them.

This can also

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