Is zero a number or the absence of a number?

Question

I have looked at several different articles/explanations but they either have contradictory statements or they use esoteric language that I cant wrap my head around. pls help

In: Mathematics

Answer 1

Yes, zero is a number.

First, you have to consider the definition of “number.” In the mathematical sense, numbers are “objects” (fancy way of saying they’re things, just like a fish is a noun-thing and a cloud is a noun-thing). Number-things are just abstract is all, like the concept of “love” is a abstract thing. And number-things represent amounts, quantity, size, etc.

So if you have three dots (. . .) or three m’s (m m m), the “threeness” is the same between them. Three is a thing independent of the m’s and dots.

Zero fits into this idea just fine. It’s the absence of dots ( ) and the absence of m’s ( ). The “zeroness” is the same regardless of what we are talking about. It is still a number. Maybe a special number, but so is pi (it is irrational, not a counting number, etc).