Completeness and Incompleteness
Presence or Absence of Value
Taking the { 0 } view, zero plays no part in addition, subtraction or
multiplication, only in division. In the case of addition and subtraction,
the result is as if zero did not exist at all. In the case of
multiplication, zero nullifies the result.
Taking the { } view, zero takes no part in division either. In the null
view, zero is ineffective for addition and subtraction and for
multiplication or division it returns nothing. Stated another way: zero
quantities take no part at all in mathematics.
It is the difference between these two operations on a pocket
calculator:
(a) 1 / 0 = <Divide by Zero!>
(b) 1 /
(a) Insists on treating zero as an actual number and demanding a
result.
(b) is "incomplete" as there is nothing to divide by.
Null Principle #1: Any quantity of zero
is null and is the absence of any value. It will play no part whatever
in addition, subtraction, multiplication or division.
|