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Reddit
reddit.com › r/askphilosophy › is there an opposite to zero or is it inherently without opposite?
r/askphilosophy on Reddit: Is there an opposite to zero or is it inherently without opposite?
December 14, 2013 -

My girlfriend and I have discussed this a few times and can't quite decide if there is or not - we are definitely not philosophers.

Initially, we agree that zero is similar nothing and the opposite of nothing is everything. Therefore, infinity is the opposite of zero. But, looking at it numerically, you have negative (or a lack of) values. You could also say that a circumstantial "lack of" anything can be treated at a negative value.

But does this then mean that you could potentially say the opposite of infinity is actually negative infinity? Does this approach not put zero as the only non-value therefore meaning that it isn't even comparable?

At this point it gets a little deep for us, but our only other conclusion is that the opposite of 0 is actually 0. If this is the case, then is this the only example of this?

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10

If by "opposite" you mean "additive inverse" (as -1 is to 1, -2 is to 2, etc.), then 0 is its own opposite.

Initially, we agree that zero is similar nothing and the opposite of nothing is everything. Therefore, infinity is the opposite of zero.

I don't think there's any obvious sense in which infinity corresponds to "everything". There are infinite sets that don't contain everything, for example.

But does this then mean that you could potentially say the opposite of infinity is actually negative infinity?

You could say this is true about the surreal numbers:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surreal_number

At this point it gets a little deep for us, but our only other conclusion is that the opposite of 0 is actually 0. If this is the case, then is this the only example of this?

As I said above, if by "opposite" you specifically mean "additive inverse", then 0 is its own opposite, and it's the only real number that has this property.

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I'd say "opposite" without further qualification or context is not really a well defined operation. Generally, by "opposite", I think we generally mean something like "reachable by reflecting on an axis of symmetry". But things frequently have multiple symmetries, meaning multiple potential opposites. Eg. we may consider the opposite of 2 to be -2 - if we reflect it through the origin, we get that value. But we might also consider the opposite to be 1/2 - it's multiplicative, rather than additive inverse. These symmetries may be context dependent - we could have different "origin points" that we're reflecting between. Eg. we might view "blue" to be the opposite of "red" if we pick the midpoint of human visible colours as our "point of reflection". But a scientist not attaching any special significance to visible light wouldn't see any reason to view wavelengths of 450nm to be the opposite of wavelengths of 620 nm? But we might also have other, culturally influenced reflection points (eg. "blue" may again be considered the opposite of "red" when viewed through the lens of "colours symbolising particular political viewpoints"). All in all, to speak of "the opposite" of something is to commit an error, in preassuming there could only be one such thing. That may be the case when you have a particular symmetry in mind, but you need to realise that this is what you're doing, and to discard that context is to change the question.

Ie opposites are properties of not just a thing on its own, but of that thing, a type of symmetry, and an axis of symmetry. Change any of those things, and you get different opposites.

In your case, you're looking at 0 using a particular "point of reflection" and symmetry in mind, but in that particular symmetry your point of reflection itself is the same as the point you're "reflecting", meaning 0 would indeed be its own opposite along that same additive symmetry. You can of course bring up different symmetries - but all those symmetries give rise to different "opposites" all the time - they're not just fallbacks for when one symmetry doesn't give you a good answer, making the other one the "real" opposite.

(And as an aside, in IEEE floating point maths, there are actually distinct 0 and -0 values, so in that context, the (additive) opposite of 0 would indeed be -0).

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GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › mathematics › what-is-the-opposite-of-zero-in-math
What is the opposite of Zero in math? - GeeksforGeeks
December 7, 2021 - And, negative numbers like -1, -2, -3, -4 their opposite will be 1, 2, 3, 4 placed left from 0. All negative numbers have their opposite as the same numbers with positive value. Hence, the opposite of zero is itself.
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Math Answers
math.answers.com › other-math › What_is_the_opposite_of_zero
What is the opposite of zero? - Answers
Zero has no multiplicative opposite (or inverse). However, it has an additive inverse, and that is also zero, since 0 + 0 = 0 · The opposite value of a null set would be an infinite set, but infinity is not a real number.
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Quora
quora.com › What-is-the-opposite-integer-of-0
What is the opposite integer of 0? - Quora
Answer (1 of 3): “Zero is Cosmic” when it comes to finding opposites (that is, it is the only number that exists for which its opposite is itself) “Four is Cosmic” when it comes to spelling (true for all integers) 13 (thirteen), for ...
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Lumen Learning
courses.lumenlearning.com › wm-developmentalemporium › chapter › notation-and-definition-of-the-set-of-integers
Notation and Definition of the Set of Integers | Developmental Math Emporium
The opposite of a number is the number that is the same distance from zero on the number line, but on the opposite side of zero. ... 1. The number [latex]-7[/latex] is the same distance from [latex]0[/latex] as [latex]7[/latex], but on the opposite side of [latex]0[/latex]. So [latex]-7[/latex] ...
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CK-12 Foundation
ck12.org › all subjects › math grade 6 › symmetry on the number line › does zero have an opposite number?
Flexi answers - Does zero have an opposite number? | CK-12 Foundation
September 11, 2025 - The opposite of a number is the same distance from 0 on a number line as the original number but on the other side of 0.Zero is its own opposite because it is neither negative nor positive. Therefore, the opposite of 0 is 0.
Find elsewhere
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WordHippo
wordhippo.com › what-is › the-opposite-of › zero.html
What is the opposite of zero?
Antonyms for zero include anything, being, something, thing, everything, acme, apex, climax, crown and culmination. Find more opposite words at wordhippo.com!
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ByteLearn
bytelearn.com › home › math problems › grade 7 › absolute value and opposite integers
(Solved)-What number is the opposite of 0 ?
August 2, 2023 - 0 · 00 gives the number itself), the opposite of · 0 · 00 must be a number that, when added to · 0 · 00, results in · 0 · 00. Determining the Opposite of · 0 · 00: step · 3 · 33: Determine the opposite of · 0 · 00. The only number that, when added to ·
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Open Space
openspace.infohio.org › courseware › lesson › 2064 › overview
Math, Grade 6, Rational Numbers, Opposite of a Number | INFOhio Open Space
The number 0 is the only number that is its own opposite. Whole numbers and the opposites of those numbers are all integers.
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
Opposite Sides of ZERO | 6.NS.C.6 💜💚 - YouTube
In this math video we will determine if pairs of numbers are on opposite sides of zero on a number line. We will identify zero on a number line and understa...
Published   May 28, 2023
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Quora
quora.com › Why-is-the-opposite-of-zero-in-mathematics-zero
Why is the opposite of zero in mathematics zero? - Quora
Unless you are a bot your surname would lead me to suspect your home language is English. If I am mistaken then please forgive me for what i am about to say: Sloppy language habits lead to sloppy thinking habits. THERE IS NO OPPOSITE TO A NUMBER. ...
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Varsity Tutors
varsitytutors.com › home › opposites
Opposites
The concept of opposites works because it balances the number line. Adding a number and its opposite always results in $0$.
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CK-12 Foundation
ck12.org › all subjects › cbse math › overview of integers › what is a number and its opposite?
Flexi answers - What is a number and its opposite? | CK-12 Foundation
September 11, 2025 - The opposite of a number is the same distance from 0 on a number line as the original number but on the other side of 0.Zero is its own opposite because it is neither negative nor positive. Therefore, the opposite of 0 is 0.
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OER Commons
oercommons.org › courseware › lesson › 603 › overview
Math, Grade 6, Rational Numbers, Opposite of a Number | OER Commons
The number 0 is the only number that is its own opposite. Whole numbers and the opposites of those numbers are all integers.