Okay, so how many people watch(ed) Sesame Street?
When I was younger, every day circa 4:30, I found myself waiting in anticipation to find out what the Count's secret number of the day was. He would sit down in front of that silly organ and go up the scale until he reached that magical number. Some days he wouldn't have to go up very far, and others it seemed like he would go up each and every key. When the magic number would be played, confetti filled the tv screen, and it seemed like New Years each and every day.
A few days ago, since no other channels were coming in clear (I don't have cable), I decided to sit down and watch this great show that I loved so many years ago. When they finally got to the part with the count a part of me still got excited. They started to go up starting with 1....
Wait...but what about zero? Can zero be considered a number?
There are a few ways to look at this.
The most common answer:
1) Um...yeah, of course zero is a number, it's used in math problems...or atleast that's how we learned it in kindergarten...
Or the more scientific answer:
2) The first step in defining zero is specifying if you consider your definition of the word "number". You also have to decide which numbering system you are using. If you are counting in the Real Number System, then of course you want to consider zero. Now if you are using the Natural Number System, then in terms, Zero would not be a real number because you start with one. The same goes with counting odds or evens.
In the Real Number System, zero is defined as the additive number identity because when it's added or subtracted to a certain number, the number remains. This is also true in multiplication and division because the zero remains constant.
So IS zero a number?