I think the the question is pretty self explanatory.
With positive numbers you can let’s say put 3 balls in a box and there you have it, a representation of the positive number 3.
Same goes with 0, a box with 0 balls represent the amount 0.
But how do you do that with a negative number?
In: 0
there’s many ways, debt has been mentioned as has height.
but the problem of representation is real, and it took people a long time to recognise that they existed. it also took a while to recognise the number 0, for the same reason: what does it *mean*?
my best take on it is just the number line. if you count from left to right and mark down 1,2,3 etc, it goes off to infinity. now count from 3,2,1 … and keep going, what actually stops you? you get 0,-1,-2,-3 and it keeps going to the left forever too.
and the spaces between the numbers give you the real numbers too.
i know it’s not a *physical* representation, but to me, really does make the most sense.
and if you think about the representation of height, what’s happening is we’re putting the zero of the number line on the ground, then measuring height as positive, anything below the ground surface would be in the negative numbers on that line.
same with debt, if your account is positive, it’s value is marked on the right of the number line, if you add a positive number, you move right, if you add a negative number, you move left. if you go into debt, your value goes to the left of zero.
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