Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea
Chapter 1
Answer the following questions for yourself before Mon. Feb 9. Your page numbers may
differ from those written below. Use them as a “guide” to find the ideas:
1. What does it mean to have a base-10 system of numbering? A base-60 system?
What is an example of one thing we use a base-60 system to describe today?
2. The author says on p. 9 that in ancient societies, “numbers and the fundamentals
of counting always developed before writing and reading.” Why do you think this
is so?
3. The author states on p. 12-13 that the Egyptian way to write numbers is primitive.
Looking at Figure 1 on p. 13. Do you agree with him? Why might the Egyptian
way be better than our way of writing numbers? Why might it be worse?
4. How was the Babylonian way to write numbers similar to our modern way?
5. Who were the first people to develop a need for zero? What was the need?
6. Why did the Babylonians use the number 0;30 for ½ and 0;45 for ¾? Why is
their base-60 system better suited to write down fractions (in decimal form) than
our base-10 system, like the author states on p. 18?
7. Why were the Greeks and other peoples so afraid of the number zero? Why
might the Mayans not have been so afraid?
8. Why does the author say on p. 23 that dividing by zero destroys the entire
framework of mathematics? Describe the conundrum that occurs when you look
at division by zero.
9. Read Appendix A in the back of the book. What do you think of it?
Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea
Chapter 1
Answer the following questions for yourself before Mon, Feb. 9. Your page numbers may
differ from those written below. Use them as a “guide” to find the ideas:
1. What does it mean to have a base-10 system of numbering? A base-60 system?
What is an example of one thing we use a base-60 system to describe today?
2. The author says on p. 9 that in ancient societies, “numbers and the fundamentals
of counting always developed before writing and reading.” Why do you think this
is so?
3. The author states on p. 12-13 that the Egyptian way to write numbers is primitive.
Looking at Figure 1 on p. 13. Do you agree with him? Why might the Egyptian
way be better than our way of writing numbers? Why might it be worse?
4. How was the Babylonian way to write numbers similar to our modern way?
5. Who were the first people to develop a need for zero? What was the need?
6. Why did the Babylonians use the number 0;30 for ½ and 0;45 for ¾? Why is
their base-60 system better suited to write down fractions (in decimal form) than
our base-10 system, like the author states on p. 18?
7. Why were the Greeks and other peoples so afraid of the number zero? Why
might the Mayans not have been so afraid?
8. Why does the author say on p. 23 that dividing by zero destroys the entire
framework of mathematics? Describe the conundrum that occurs when you look
at division by zero.
9. Read Appendix A in the back of the book. What do you think of it?