Subject: Re: [HM] A question around zero
From: Karen Dee Michalowicz (KarenDM@aol.com)
Date: Thu Jan 20 2000 - 15:52:26 EST
In a message dated 01/20/2000 3:42:05 PM, Ed Wall writes:
> the topic of the evenness or oddness of zero came up.
This is a very interesting question for me because I am always asked the
question by my math methods students. I've always told them, as I was
taught, that zero is even. The reason given:
Take the set of integers
..., -8, -7, -6, -5, -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, ...
if I start counting "every other number" beginning with an even number,
such as,
-8, -6, -4, -2,
I come to zero and then go on to
2, 4, 6, 8, 10 , etc.
Since zero is in this set of "every other number", it is even.
Now, I know this is very simplistic reasoning.
So, those of you out there much more knowledgeable than I, please let Ed
and I know.
Karen Dee
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