Re:Is zero an even number?
by gjm11 on Sunday December 02, 2012 @05:27PM
(#4862818)
Two unrelated thoughts:
1. In the mayor's place, I'd have considered spelling it out explicitly: "drivers whose licence plates end in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 will be able to buy gas or diesel only on even-numbered days of the month", etc. This is both idiot-proof and pedant-proof.
2. I believe the Pythagoreans (ancient Greek, 6th century BCE) regarded both 0 and 1 as not being numbers, and as neither odd nor even.
1. In the mayor's place, I'd have considered spelling it out explicitly: "drivers whose licence plates end in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 will be able to buy gas or diesel only on even-numbered days of the month", etc. This is both idiot-proof and pedant-proof.
2. I believe the Pythagoreans (ancient Greek, 6th century BCE) regarded both 0 and 1 as not being numbers, and as neither odd nor even.