Wikipedia:Today's featured article/August 29, 2013

Zero is an even number. In other words, zero's parity—the quality of an integer being even or odd—is even. It fits the definition of "even" as an integer multiple of 2, namely 0 × 2. As a result, zero has all the properties of even numbers: 0 is divisible by 2, 0 is surrounded on both sides by odd numbers, 0 is the sum of an integer (0) with itself, and a set of 0 objects can be split into two equal sets (example pictured). Zero is the additive identity element of the group of even integers, and it is the starting case from which other even natural numbers are recursively defined. Applications of this recursion from graph theory to computational geometry rely on zero being even. Among the general public, the parity of zero can be a source of confusion. In reaction time experiments, most people are slower to identify 0 as even than 2, 4, 6, or 8. Some students of mathematics—and some teachers—think that zero is odd, or both even and odd, or neither. Researchers in mathematics education propose that these misconceptions can become learning opportunities. Studying equalities like 0 × 2 = 0 can address students' doubts about calling 0 a number and using it in arithmetic. (Full article...)

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