Re: Is zero even or odd?

From: Richards Noah \(IFR LIT MET\) (Noah.Richards_at_infineon.com)
Date: 12/20/04 

Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 10:47:57 -0500

> > > Odd numbers start at 1 and go every other number 1,3,5,7;1,-1,-3,-5,-7
> > > Even starts at 2 and go every other number 2,4,6,8;2,0,-2,-4,-6,-8
> >
> > As it can be divided by 2 without a remainder, it is obviously even.
>
> The divisor would have to be something smaller than 0 like -2.
> Therefore zero is both even and negative.
>

A number n is considered even if there exists an integer m such that n = 2m.
Since 0 = (2) (0), it is even.

However, zero is *not* negative, or positive for that matter. Positive and
negative numbers are defined in terms of 0, with positive being > 0 and
negative being < 0. Since 0 is not greater than 0 and 0 is not less than 0,
0 is not positive or negative.

Just for kicks, zero is a *non-negative* and *non-positive* number, since
both of these sets include 0.