is 0 even or odd?

[Ulixes Dimon]

It's even because the number before and after it are odd

 

[Bon_Clay]

It is definitely an integer, and is even. Not that it really matters much.

 

[blaqknoise]

Even. You can split it equally into two groups.

Bad math is bad. 1 can be split equally into two groups as well. .5 and .5

....Well fuck...

 

[AnOriginalConcept]

It's even.

A number is even if it is divisible by 2 with no remainder.

I really hope you dont honestly believe that.

...Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parity_of_zero] agrees with me, sir.

 

[Xannieros]

Let me Wikipedia that for you.

0 is the integer immediately preceding 1. In most cultures, 0 was identified before the idea of negative things that go lower than zero was accepted. Zero is an even number,[4] because it is divisible by 2. 0 is neither positive nor negative. By some definitions 0 is also a natural number, and then the only natural number not to be positive. Zero is a number which quantifies a count or an amount of null size.

 

[Paul Hearding]

Zero is, in fact, even.

There are several ways to prove this.

First (as it's already been discussed), any even number is an integer that, when divided by two, will yield another integer.
0 / 2 = 0.

And yes zero IS an integer. The set of integers is all whole numbers, negative and positive: {...-5, -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...}

So, dividing by two yields zero, which IS an integer, therefor zero is even.

Also, to add to the pot, there are actually "degrees of eveness" in which some numbers can be 'more even' than others. This basically just means, how many powers of 2 can that number be divided by. For example, 12 would be "doubly even" as it is divisible by 2 and 4. Zero, would then be the most even number ever as it is divisible by ALL powers of 2!



Also, to throw a little abstract algebra into the mix, we can also show that zero is an even number here too. In abstract algebra, we know that the sum of any two even integers must also be even. 2 + 4 = 6 and 6 is even. But also, you have negative numbers to consider. -16 + 20 = 4 and 4 is even. Well, consider 2 and -2. Both are even and -2 + 2 = 0. So, by this definition, 0 must also be even.

(You can also make this same sort of argument with the sum of any two odds being an even).

*Math-rant over*

 

[Lullabye]

Um, yeah, you can. You just get zero. It is also by definition, even. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parity_of_zero

Yes, okay. But how do you tell two chunks of nothing divided into equal groups apart from one big bunch of nothing with a set of scales in it? For that matter, what if you have three equal groups of nothing?

Mathematicians are lazy and the only reason 0 is technically even is because it fits the oversimplified definition of parity.

6.
you can have two groups of 3, or 3 groups of 2.
I dont get your point about three even groups.
zero is even, in that it can be split evenly.
And why are people stuck on the concept of nothingness? Think in terms of apples.
2 apples, 2 people. both people have an apple.
1 appl 2 people. 1 person has an apple(and wont share cus hes an asshole)
0 apples. 2 people. No one has apples.
all is fair and balanced and even.

 

[drummond13]

To the technical standpoint it's neither. It does however have the "even feel" to it. Probably because it's between -1 and 1 which are odd so our brains create it as an even although it's not.

Um, no. To the "technical standpoint" it's even. Not because it has an "even feel" to it. It actually is even.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

Neither... Zero is not an integer.

The concept of even and odd only applies to integers therefore 2 is even, 3 is odd, 3.5 is neither and 0 is neither also.

Actually zero is an element in the set of integers (the Z set).

Strictly speaking it's even, since when you do set mappings you use 2*n for evens and 2n+(or -)1 for odds where n is an integer. However the principle of odd and even is only really used in natural number mappings, and 0 is not a natural number. So essentially from an analytical maths perspective it doesn't really matter but for the sake of completeness it's even.

agree with this, depends on the perspective but alot of people seem to go the "n" route, so i will call it even based on that .

 

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

Even.

 

[Benmonkey7]

Even. You can split it equally into two groups.

Bad math is bad. 1 can be split equally into two groups as well. .5 and .5

....Well fuck...

Actually, blaqknoise was correct. Dividing one by two gets you a fraction. In order for something to be even, dividing it by two has to equal an integer. One half is not an integer. But zero is an integer. 0/2 equals 0, which is an integer. So, 0 is even.

 

[poppabaggins]

the lack of math knowledge here is appalling.

zero is even
proof by definition:

Even = {2*n : n is an integer}
0 is an integer (by the definition of the set of integers)
therefore, 0 is a real number (the set of integers is a subset of the set of real numbers)

2*0 = 0
0 is even QED

this site has a fairly multinational userbase, and I have counted answers both correct and incorrect from 3 separate countries. so much for "stupid americans" and their bad math skills.

 

[Optimystic]

Um, Zero is even. It is also an integer. I won't bother reposting the relevant links.

Holy shit.

 

[AMX58]

Even its what i learned in skool so whatever

 

[FalloutJack]

Even, yo. It's between 1 and -1, and all numbers ending in a zero are even.

 

[poppabaggins]

the lack of math knowledge here is appalling.

zero is even
proof by definition:

a real number n is even if 2*n is an integer.
0 is an integer (by the definition of the set of integers)
therefore, 0 is a real number (the set of integers is a subset of the set of real numbers)

2*0 = 0
0 is even QED

this site has a fairly multinational userbase, and I have counted answers both correct and incorrect from 3 separate countries. so much for "stupid americans" and their bad math skills.

I think you need to correct that first part. It should be more like 'A real number k is even if k = 2*n where n is an integer"

Good catch, sir. outrage blinded my typing. Fixing
If I knew how to use latex, I would have done that.
More precise:
Even = {2*n : n is an element of Z}

 

[cyberblade507]

I believe three things qualify me to say that that zero is, in most if not all meaningful cases, zero is even.

1: I am a college senior majoring in Astronomy (heavy mathematics requirements).
2: I have a friend who is a high school math teacher who agrees that zero is even.
3: The definition of an even number: any integer (3.5: which does include zero) that is divisible by two with no remainder. (Satisfies the equation @=2*N, where @ is the even number and N is some number; both @ and N must be integers).

Moreover, zero is most definitely not odd, as an odd number must follow this equation:

#=2*M+1

Where # is the odd number and M is any other number. Both # and M must be integers. Zero cannot satisfy this equation in the # position, thus it is not odd.

Finally, zero is not neither because it can satisfy one of the above two equations, making it either even or odd.

EDIT: Changed a couple of symbols for clarity.

 

[Scipio1770]

please enlighten us then.

I suppose the simplest way would be to stop trying to quantify 0 as an integer, that means parity wouldn't try to describe it at all. Unless of course there's some reason an unquantifiable concept absolutely has to be counted among the natural numbers.

well what is the alternative though? if you don't qualify 0 as an integer then is it still a real number at least? if not then you're basically cutting up the number line, you get -.000... ...1 and .000... ...1 with a hole in the middle.

It's not like zero is such an intangible concept anyway..

 

[lacktheknack]

Three answers:

Even. -1 = odd, 0 = even, 1 = odd, etc.

Even. 0 / 2 = 0.

Not a number, it's nil. Or the lack of a number. (I don't really get this argument, but it's pretty common.)

 

[Hamish Durie]

even because it goes even odd even odd 1 odd so 0 is even