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A meme for math people
(lemmy.world)
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this post was submitted on 11 Oct 2023
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I know I'm bad at math but I don't understand how 2x0=0 but 2^0=1
How are they different answers when they're both essentially multiplying 2 by zero?
Someone with a bigger brain please explain this
Edit: I greatly appreciate all the explanations but all they've done is solidify the fact that I'll never be good at math 😭
0 is the neutral element for addition. This is why when we have a number then 0 + number = number (0 doesnt change the value in addition) and why 0 x number = 0 (if you add a number 0 times you will have 0). (Multiplication is adding one of the numbers to itself the number of times designated by the second number)
The same way 1 is the neutral element for multiplication. This is why when you have some number then 1 * number = number. This is also why number^0 = 1 (if you never multiply by a number you are left with the neutral element. It would be weird if powering by 0 left you with 0 for example because of how negative powers work)
This is the level 1 answer.
The level 0 answer is that it is this way because all of mathematics is a construct designed to ease problem solving and all people collectively agreed that doing it this way is way more useful (because it is)
Choose which one you want
Fuck me this is the only one I understand 😭