Can someone try to explain to me philosophically the concept of the number 0?

This is a great question. Mathematically, zero was more or less invented to be a place holder and to represent the absence of any number or the multiplicity of numbers. It's an abstract man-made concept that allow us to formulate simple to incredibly complex mathematical models and computations. Virtually everything in the physical universe can be described in mathematical terms, so in that respect zero is analagous to a letter in an alphabet, and a very important one at that. Try composing a comprehensible and useful story without using any a's or e's or o's for instance. Like the letters of our alphabet, Zero itself doesn't really have an important meaning, but it allows us to derive important meaning from the world, especially in terms of comparing one thing or state of being to another. For example, I just went to the fridge and discovered there were zero beers left. Dang! This doesn't mean that beer doesn't exist, it is just absent from the unique subset that is the contents of my refrigerator.

Of course the language of higher mathematics is as arcane and un-intuitive as any spken or written language, modern or ancient, and in this respect theoretical mathematicians are not unlike shamans, mystics, and other holy "insiders" with a "special connection" to the secrets of the universe that the rest of us mere mortals haven't a hope of penetrating. Without zero, mathematics wouldn't and couldn't have risen to become the "god" of all science, but in and of itself it is just a symbol and doesn't really have any intrinsic meaning.

Now, it's quite normal for anyone to stub their philosophical toes on the concept of zero once we leave the realm of mathematics. Zero represents nothingness or the Biblical "void". You can argue that before the earth, sun, stars, galaxies etc came to exist that there was an empty void, but is not a void itself something? Or how about time? Did time start at zero? If so, what existed before that? To paraphrase a famous question, what exactly was God up to before he got around to creating the universe and placing us in it? Even if there was this great void of nothingness, for those who are religious, God still existed and that can hardly be considered nothing. So what came before "god"? Zero? If God (or the space we call the universe) has always existed and nothing (or zero) came before, then you can see that the value of zero is as a word or symbol that simply represents the impossibility of there being a previous condition.

Now we bump up against the sister concept to zero, which is infinity. It is an equally mysterious and baffling concept. Again it has some valid and important mathematical uses, especially when zero is used to represent an arbitrary point in and infinitely large universe or number set, but philosophically we still end up stubbing our toes when we start examining the concept of infinity very deeply. We use the concept of infinity quite blithely but it is a word or symbol that represents somthing that we cannot humanly comprehend in anything but an abstract way. For instance, we can conceptualize "forever" but we cannot experience it. We can conceptualize zero, but we cannot experience it in an absolute way, only in comparison to a condition that is not zero.

Well, I hope I haven't confused you further but instead have given you a way to at least get a finger hold on this slippery subject. I'll try to help you tackle negative numbers if I happen to see your post about it.

The circle represent everything or infinity which is more than everything. The only thing that is infinite is where everything that IS lets off. Beyond time, space and the limits of matter and energy is a non-place where non-events don't occur. That is the edge of the circle or nothing.

Because nothing is infinite (and thus comes in every possible and impossible form,) eventually it becomes SOMETHING, so that everything that exists is made out of nothing. The letter A is zero, the letter Y is zero, and the letter o even looks like zero, so basically O = o = 0, and everything you have ever known or imagined is zero.

Does that help?

1 apple is zero apples. 100 apples is zero apples. An infinite amount of nothing is all the apples that exist!

1 + 1 = 2

(1) - (-1) = 2

(1) - (-1) + 0 = 2

(1) - (-1) - 0 = 2

(1) - (-1) - 2 = 0

(1) + (-1)(-1) - 2 = 0

(1) - (-1) + (-2) = 0

Your confusion arises from the fact that you philosophically imagine zero as "Nothing"; zero is not the "Nothing" in the Heideggerian metaphysical sense/question: "Why is there something, anything at all, as opposed to Nothing at all?" --- mathematically speaking, and w/o getting into axiomatic set theory arguments, zero stands for the number of items in an empty set.

The question of why the notion of the "empty set" should even exist/be there, in the first place, is possibly a valid philosophical inquiry.

The fact that there is Zero items in that empty set [basket, if you like], on the other hand, has proved to be an extremely useful mathematical tool.

.

Interesting thoughts....

Zero represents a state of existence with our value, a balance.

When you compare anything to 0 you'll find you're looking at the actual value. example

5 apples (sorry if you don't find it funny) By stating there is 5, there is a point of reference of 0 and 5 by itself states little to nothing at all.

Clarify. 0 states that nothing exist and there is a balance as there is nothing that exist, but there is a space to fill. by adding 5 (0+5) this means you are putting a value to the space that exist to be filled.

You are right it is philosophical.

When you have 0, thoughts or knowledge, you'll view things from without distortion.

take the view of "good and bad even", the subject can get get annoying as all of it is based on values you have grown with or a perspective.

If you look at it with none of your predetermine ideas, you'll see it for what it really is. an event that is occurring because of the known factors and will cause "x" events.

You'll care little about trying to manipulate the event to say that so and so caused it an will be unable to judge it as you can only state way you saw.

Advise me if you need clarification on any part.

Zero is above monotheistic God. Mathematically, when the two merges in One to become one it is monotheistic god. Zero contains one also. Therefore its stature is above God. It is the beginning and the end and the beginning. Everything starts from Zero and everything ends in Zero. Again it starts from Zero,mathematically, the minus integers after zero where as philosophically it is going towards the world of Spirits. Minus integers are like minus body i.e. the spirit. Zero is in everything and everything is in zero. The paradox is that Zero contains everything and everything contains zero. Therefore Zero is nothing as well as everything. It is the potent nucleus from which the material universe takes its shape and it is the end from where the spiritual universe also shows its path.

Mathematics is nothing but the material physical and numerical representation of philosophy., 1 is montheistic God 0 IS PARABRAHMAN AS WELL AS THE UNDIFFERENTIATED BRAHMAN. That means Zero is Differentiated as well as Undifferentiated. It contains both. If 1 is monehtiestic and Zero is Undifferentiated Brahman, then 2 is dualistic world, three is the trinities and all the three patters under it like the beginning, the middle the end, the past the present the future; creation, continuity and dissolution etc. etc. to the common three patters we may find in grammar like subject object predicate. etc.etc. The four patterns starts from the four Vedas the knowledge about life and thereafter the life begins with 5 patterns or number five. Ether, Air, Fire, water, and Earth are differentiated in that order into the five gross elements and is cause for the formation of the universe as well as the macro universe that is human beings. The nuclear fusion of these five elements in respective proportions is the cause for all things physical, which are visibly existing for five senses.

The the six and seventh for. eg. seventh like Sapta Rshis, Sapta samudra, Sa,Re, Ga, Ma Pa Da Ni Sa in Music (Nada Brahman formation is evident here). and further into eight, nine to infinity numbers have their patterns. If you search the nature you can find equivalent patterns whether it be the leaves of trees and branches or the sands of the beach for infinity or billions billions, the pattern goes on and on to infinity.

All divisions and substrations, additions, multiplications and all mathematical theories and theorums have a background which is philosophy. Philosophy is thought and no maths is possible without philosophy. Each equation we have in maths are explainable with a philosophy when we deeply contemplate on it. And inversely each equation was arrived at through a philosophy. Philosophy is the highest point in thought before we enter spiritualism. In spiritualism the state is that of Thuriya and not wakeful, or dreaming or sleeping or unconscious states. In Thuriya state the microcosmic self gets connected to the macro cosmic Self and the whole world is seen through the eyes of the macrocosm and not microcosm, that is a stage where the infinite patterns would become visible and a person can be omnipresent and omniscient and omni potent and the like.

To think that Zero is nothing is not reality. Zero is nothing as well as everything. That paradox if well understood will be sufficient to know the Self and the Cosmic Self we call God.

Yay. I'm glad I inspired you :D In my eyes, I think that everything they play on the radio is mainstream. Anyone who thinks that the bands in the hardcore scene are mainstream are wrong. Those people in my opinion, are just little teenies that think they're the scenest thing on the planet (haha sorry lack of vocabulary). I guess bands like MCR are sellouts but still, I get a little offended when somebody calls the bands I like mainstream because you can't even start to compare Fall Out Boy to Bring Me the Horizon.

Will this interest you?

When Zero Equals Infinity (God's Math)

A Primary Mathematical System

http://everythingforever.com/st_math.htm

0 is the foundation for 1. Negative numbers have a value also.. Silence can't be negative, neither can sight. But the negative and positive have to meet therefore 0 is used.

..maybe... Just a guess. Good question!

The zero as a number assumes an epistemological axiomatic of set theory.

Essentially that you can have an empty or null set...the symbol zero.

While it is indeed philosophically debatable if zero is valid concept, it is also true that it has been thoroughly debated already and the concept of zero is considered highly intellectually warranted and epistemologically valid.

Zero is pretty much undefinable but it is used to define things. This puts it in the same category as Absolute God. That is all I know except that the Mayans came up with the concept about 36 bc just before the Hindu did. Two days ago I had decided God was a toad. Now I am thinking he is a zero.