Sorry... can't let my old math profs down on this one.
Zero isn't imaginary either. An imaginary number is a multiple of a quantity
called "i" which is defined by the property that i squared equals -1. Zero
squared is Zero and the square root of Zero is still Zero.
Some people get confused, because it is hard to imagine any number having a negative
square.
It is tempting to believe that i doesn't really exist, but rather it's just a
convenient mathematical hoop de doo. This isn't the case. Imaginary numbers do
exist. They are not really imaginary at all. The name
dates back to when they were first introduced, before their existence was
really understood. At that point in time, people were imagining what it would
be like to have a number system that contained square roots of negative
numbers, hence the name "imaginary". Eventually it was realized that such a
number system does in fact exist, but by then the name had stuck.
On Sat, 20 Nov 1999, you wrote:
> 0 is in fact an imaginary number. Try and imagine having zero of something.
> 0 x 1 implies there
> are some ones, but there are none of them. Having a zero quantity of
> something is in its self contradiction. You can't have nothing of something.
>
> Or have i just drank too much coffee today...
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Peter Heckert [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> > Sent: 20 November 1999 21:46
> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Subject: Re: [newbie] Totally useless fact (OS)
> >
> >
> > PadLocke wrote:
> > >
> > > zeros aren't odd or even. They're Pretty much just place holders.
> >
> > If you define even as: "can be divided by 2 without remainder" then
> > 0 is even.
> > 0 div 2 = 0, remainder = 0.
> >
> > Pretty long thread!
> >
> > ;-)
> >
> > Peter
> >
--
PadLocke the Ogre
There are three types of people in this world...
those who can count, and those who can't!
