Zero

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Zero!

When someone calls us "zero," our mind instinctively translates it as "loser."

Zero is often used as a derogatory term. Perhaps it is because it has no value.

But ironically, I think zero is the most unique in the real number system. The presence or absence of zero is vital for several conditions.


 


I have seen the statement "This theorem/property/problem is true for all real numbers except for zero." and used to think that zero was an outcast. But now I know that zero is a bit of a rebel.

Zero doesn't fit into frames. Zero has the power to nullify even the highest number with the highest power but can also make a value 10x bigger. It could also make a well-defined number, an undetermined value if it is in the denominator. 

Zero is the additive identity. Zero is neutral. It's the middle ground. If the real number line is the solar system, zero is the sun. Everything revolves around it.

Zero plays a huge role not only in mathematics but also in every other branch of science. It also holds a crucial position in programming. 

The great mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan stated that every number divided by itself results in 1, but when zero is divided by itself, it becomes infinite.

In high school, we learn about the periodic table. It is not a cakewalk to learn the symbols and memorize their atomic numbers, and God knows how much I used to struggle.

There are 118 elements in the periodic table. Out of them, the elements in the last column, the ones that belong to group 18, are called inert gases. But because of their significance, they are also called noble gases.

It's ironic how inert and noble have polar opposite meanings yet are used as an identity for particular elements.

Coincidentally, the one who emphasized this is also named Ramanujam. Yes, she was my eleventh grade chemistry teacher. 

Such gases represent humans, no? We have some sluggish, unattractive qualities but also laudable ones. We just have to make sure that the good ones outnumber the bad ones.

Isn't it flabbergasting to learn something that contradicts what we've been taught, what we've always heard as children? To realize that something is so much more than you thought? 




A fresh day starts at 00:00. Despite so many people using "zero" as a belittling term, I think zero is a new beginning. It is a step towards positivity. 

One man's trash is another man's treasure, indeed!

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