Zero Exponent Video: Teach it with a Pattern!

[Jadriam]

Thank you for explaining this. This principle was simply dropped on me and never explained at all, and this video helped me understand it. I will never understand why we received such an unusual principle in our exercises with no warning. It's like a fitness trainer telling you to running around a track and suddenly having a hurdle pop up in the middle of the path.

[annglamgal]

THANK YOU for posting this! My son's 7th Grade math teacher needs to see this - and implement this great teaching method!

[Sammo1357]

/fap fap fap fap 

[GSmash5]

You are incredible

[0freakyfizzygirl0]

Can u please tell us why 0! = 1  ??

[MathMammoth]

@0freakyfizzygirl0 Basically It is defined to be so, presumably for the sake of convenience. Find out more by searching in Google for "zero factorial".



[0freakyfizzygirl0]

@MathMammoth Thanks

[0freakyfizzygirl0]

Thanks

[stefanhyltoft]

Fantastic, now I understand. Thank you.

[resonance2001]

I find the number 0 to be a strange one. It has some unusual properties

[MrFlubb63]

Great teacher!

[resonance2001]

FANTASTIC! I love maths

[OmicronRBTN]

and what about 0? Does 0^0=1?

[MathMammoth]

@OmicronRBTN This is an old conundrum. 0^0 can either be defined to be zero or one, depending on context, or it can also be said to be "indeterminate". I would like to refer you to Dr. Math's excellent answer on it... search the Internet for

math forum ask dr math zero to zero power

and you will find this particular article.

[devinconway2013]

do the same thing with zero, 0^4 =0 0^3=0 0^2=0 0^1=0 0^0=1? zero times zero zero times is 1? seems like it'd be zero to me

[EGMAG]

I still think any power to zero has no function. Reason: all other itegers have value and zero does not have value. No matter how you contrive it, you cannot give value to zero, so that it is no longer zero and becomes one. What explanation do you have other then tradition?

[CyanideXCloud]

You're awesome. Math sucks if you don't know why it works. I now know why x^0 = 1, and it is awesome. Math rules.

[gregkodysz1]

thank you for posting this, my algebra I teaching just glossed over this without telling us why. Thank you again.

[jeremyhillaryboobphd]

thankyou for your explanation, and i had exactly the same problem everywhere i looked x^0=1 and i was constantly asking "but why?" and i attribute this inadequacy of logical explanation as the main reason why i never got into maths in school. What i worked out on my own before watching this vid is that the 1 from x^0 is the exponents multiplicative property rather than its actual value, would this be a correct way to view it?

[MathMammoth]

@jeremyhillaryboobphd I am not sure what you mean by the exponent's multiplicative property.. you'd have to explain your thinking some more.

[jeremyhillaryboobphd]

@MathMammoth no worries, i think its wrong but ill explain anyway, what i meant was would the number alone still be equal to x^0 until it is operated upon by other numbers, at which point its value is converted to 1 and the information relating to x is discarded? quite certain this is wrong but that's what i meant, thanks for replying :)

[SoulavardProductions]

thanks

[amjPeace]

I love how you allow the students to discover through pattern instead of just serving it up "on a platter"

I enjoy all your lessons, MathMammoth!

[jerktrucker]

good presintation but is that the real proof?

[MathMammoth]

@jerktrucker

In mathematics, we can DEFINE that a number to zeroth power is 1. if it's defined, it won't need proof. However, the method I show is one reason or justification why it should be defined that way. There are other reasons as well.

[nettech963]

thank you

[fogggygyrl]

Very good! Now I understand. I wish you had been my math teacher.

[Tbirds2012]

I didn't understand this, and my math final is next week, i need to ace it or i fail the class, that's not good. Now that i have watched this I UNDERSTAND!!! thank you, wish me luck on my final

[rehabdanny]

I had a student ask me "Why is any number raised to the 0 power equal to 1????"

Now I have an answer! Thank you!

[MistahGreenTea]

Wonderful job. Thank you!

[regularmagnolia]

Lovely video, thanks!

[djsinus]

It's ok but more mathematics answere is:

3^0=3^(1-1)=3^1*3^(-1)=3*(1/3)­=1

You can see here that 0^0 is undefined because 0^0=0^(1-1) and 0^(-1) is undefined.

[MathMammoth]

I made a separate video for negative exponents using the pattern. It's titled "Negative Exponents Video: Learn Them with a Pattern!" and it's here at YouTube as well.

[Chaos4Free]

Nice, but you should take it to the next logical step... that 2^-1 = ½

[smyton4tw]

Thank you for clearing it up for me. You're a great teacher!

[GeorgiaGhost]

Ah... One of the best math lessons I've had in the past five years.

I only wish I had learned about your videos and newsletter when I first started being homeschooled. It would've made it a lot easier, that's for sure!

[kolombiandan]

perrfect Thank you!

[martinbrtj]

Thank you!

[dogdoog989]

Not bad.