Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!goblin3!goblin2!goblin.stu.neva.ru!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed2.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.038 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.92; '*S*': 0.00; '*not*': 0.07; 'modulo': 0.09; 'cc:addr:python-list': 0.11; 'jan': 0.12; '36,': 0.16; '9:20': 0.16; 'from:addr:rosuav': 0.16; 'from:name:chris angelico': 0.16; 'multiplied': 0.16; 'zeroes': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'all,': 0.19; 'rules': 0.22; 'cc:addr:python.org': 0.22; 'together.': 0.24; 'cc:2**0': 0.24; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; "doesn't": 0.30; 'message-id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.30; 'gives': 0.31; "d'aprano": 0.31; 'steven': 0.31; 'subject:numbers': 0.31; 'subject:other': 0.31; "we're": 0.32; 'another': 0.32; 'fri,': 0.33; 'no,': 0.35; 'but': 0.35; 'received:google.com': 0.35; 'are,': 0.36; 'like,': 0.36; 'right?': 0.36; 'pm,': 0.38; 'itself': 0.39; 'how': 0.40; 'even': 0.60; 'number,': 0.60; 'simply': 0.61; 'times': 0.62; 'us:': 0.65; '2015': 0.84; 'multiplying': 0.84; 'together,': 0.84; 'to:none': 0.92 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:cc :content-type; bh=orpf6YCVmj6nA2BJEVDKSscu31UP9Mvu+mXM8R983pY=; b=SzvmSsxinscPWYZPILqDsDaYojDraL4kjJASo6i1pAg72f5YTtn2N1wT+quA22bjZ1 mcjLH1k5/oSewSlofWKETWMKUDt+PJfhzNCsz0JJ5AWRSED4pAgH3GN5n2mZPQlXDxej NV1B96viHGWnu7dZVI1cWXLZ3oulBh9XmQJeJ4WUGk6isGoxepKM8N5vpLEqXQATX0qu oufqbs+FhsJhzjG7nhiRcT61prLvDPmRQBqVd4EJxrmelrubV/NF896ewNVxmlHCYlWq LGvQZN2DYNG5aKj8hIsE/ErN0jBNlKn97YNtBzqpBxTxpz9Hk5+/9T8SEB55zCxK+/wn TycQ== MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Received: by 10.42.94.14 with SMTP id z14mr12065368icm.59.1420799975716; Fri, 09 Jan 2015 02:39:35 -0800 (PST) In-Reply-To: <54afab5d$0$12976$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> References: <54AF405C.6020609@davea.name> <54af9612$0$12995$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <54afab5d$0$12976$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2015 21:39:35 +1100 Subject: Re: Decimals and other numbers From: Chris Angelico Cc: "python-list@python.org" Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 30 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1420799984 news.xs4all.nl 2942 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:48493 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:83423 On Fri, Jan 9, 2015 at 9:20 PM, Steven D'Aprano wrote: > On the basis that m**n means m multiplied by itself n times: > > 5**4 = 5*5*5*5 = 625 > > that gives us: > > 0**0 = zero multiplied by itself zero times. > > You can multiply 0 by any number you like, and the answer will always be 0, > not 1. Even if that other number is 0, the answer is still 0. 5 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 = 0 You can multiply 5 by 0 any number of times you like, and the answer will always be 0... unless you never multiply it by 0 at all, in which case it'll be 5. Multiplying 0 by any number, including 0, is 0... but *not* multiplying 0 by 0 doesn't have to give 0. 0**0 is the result of not multiplying any zeroes together, so it doesn't follow the rules of multiplying zeroes together. Look at it another way. 6**x modulo 10 will always be 6, right? 6, 36, 216... the rules for multiplying mean that the last digit will be consistent. (That's how we can know what the last digits of Graham's Number are, despite having no way to even comprehend its scale.) So what's 6**0? Is that going to end with 6, too, to be consistent? No, because we're not multiplying any sixes in, so the answer's simply 1. ChrisA