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Zero divided by a negative or positive number is either zero or is expressed as a fraction with zero as numerator and the finite quantity as denominator. Zero divided by zero is zero. In 830, Mahāvīra unsuccessfully tried to correct the mistake Brahmagupta made in his book Ganita Sara Samgraha: "A number remains unchanged when divided by zero ...
Rules governing the use of zero appeared in Brahmagupta's Brahmasputha Siddhanta (7th century), which states the sum of zero with itself as zero, and incorrectly describes division by zero in the following way: [55] [56] A positive or negative number when divided by zero is a fraction with the zero as denominator.
Dividing the numerator and denominator of a fraction by the same non-zero number yields an equivalent fraction: if the numerator and the denominator of a fraction are both divisible by a number (called a factor) greater than 1, then the fraction can be reduced to an equivalent fraction with a smaller numerator and a smaller denominator.
In these enlarged number systems, division is the inverse operation to multiplication, that is a = c / b means a × b = c, as long as b is not zero. If b = 0, then this is a division by zero, which is not defined. [a] [4]: 246 In the 21-apples example, everyone would receive 5 apple and a quarter of an apple, thus avoiding any leftover.
In arithmetic, and therefore algebra, division by zero is undefined. [7] Use of a division by zero in an arithmetical calculation or proof, can produce absurd or meaningless results. Assuming that division by zero exists, can produce inconsistent logical results, such as the following fallacious "proof" that one is equal to two [8]:
In particular, division by zero is meaningful. The real numbers can be extended to a wheel, as can any commutative ring . The term wheel is inspired by the topological picture ⊙ {\displaystyle \odot } of the real projective line together with an extra point ⊥ ( bottom element ) such that ⊥ = 0 / 0 {\displaystyle \bot =0/0} .
In mathematics, division by zero, division where the divisor (denominator) is zero, is a unique and problematic special case. Using fraction notation, the general example can be written as a 0 {\displaystyle {\tfrac {a}{0}}} , where a {\displaystyle a} is the dividend (numerator).
The problem is that we divided both sides by , which involves the indeterminate operation of dividing by zero when = It is generally possible (and advisable) to avoid dividing by any expression that can be zero; however, where this is necessary, it is sufficient to ensure that any values of the variables that make it zero also fail to satisfy ...