Why is 0 not a number?

[ElfOnTheTopShelf]

Surely it is classed as a number, even if it is nothing?
I've tried to set a few online things up recently, and my password is never accepted because "it must contain a number". Yes... it does... 0

[AurraSing]

Are you using O or 0?

[TattyDevine]

Its not a number, its an additive identity

[ThePiperAtTheGatesOfDawn]

I am not a munber I am a name

[ThePiperAtTheGatesOfDawn]

number I mean

[ElfOnTheTopShelf]

def 0, I have a laptop with separate number section (unique to the keys with the characters above iyswim).

[tabulahrasa]

it's an absence of numbers...seems a bit deep for qualifying for a password though

[TattyDevine]

Zero isn't a member of the set of Natural Numbers since you normally don't start counting with zero. A primitive society developing a counting system wouldn't think of "none" ... they'd start counting with "one." Thus, if by "number" you mean "the set of all Natural Numbers," then zero isn't among them. Zero is more of a placeholder digit.

[ShellyBoobs]

Similarly, black is not a colour.

Yes, I know that's irrelevant, but nevermind.

[Nagini]

I think they ban it because people always change a word to pe0ple and think they are sneaky passworders :)

[thisisyesterday]

because it isn't a number. that's why

[ElfOnTheTopShelf]

its frustrating, because its only recently it has become a problem, I have a similar (not same!) password for a few other sites which have all been accepted. The passwords are always over 10 characters, have a 0 and a special character, but 0 now appears to be a no no!

[cyb]

It has no value

[ElfOnTheTopShelf]

so in terms of keyboards, if it isn't a number, what is it classed as? A special character?

[TattyDevine]

Its a placeholder, of sorts.

[TattyDevine]

Y'know, of integers, positive numbers, algebraic structures, that kind of thing.

[TattyDevine]

[Nagini]

marvels at clever tatty

[TattyDevine]

Oh fuck in terms of keyboards. Its a...its the ) symbols arsehole. Its a little dilated though. Probably too much Friday night bumsex...

[TattyDevine]

makes mummy clever

[complexnumber]

I am not a munber I am a name

I love that!

Also agreeing with everything TattyDevine stated, though I'm not sure the definition of Counting Numbers and Natural Numbers is universally defined. (I'm sure it was a little bit different in Turkey.) I could be wrong.

[NasalCoffeeEnema]

Apparently Oxford and Cambridge differ on their opnions as to whether ity is a number or not

[ElfOnTheTopShelf]

[thisisyesterday]

DP says it's because they have a sucky password storage system

so there you have it.

[DeWe]

Zero is a concept not a number
Like infinity is a concept not a number.
The Greeks (who did a lot of maths) didn't use zero, and I think the Romans referred to it as a word ("nulla" ??) rather than as a number.
Wasn't it the Babylonians that produced zero as a number about 100-200AD.
Often in maths you look at what happens as zero is approached (ie make the numbers get smaller and smaller)

Of course I can also prove to you that 1 = 2 thus producing problems for arithmatic as a whole.

[aquashiv]

As Cyb it has no value. Poor 0 I think it has a value is nothing not a value?