1. The author notes in Chapter 2, “Nothing Comes of Nothing” that the West resisted the concept of zero for how many years?
(a) 500.
(b) 1,000.
(c) 3,000.
(d) 2,000.

2. The ancient Mayans used a numeral system that was based on what increment?
(a) 20.
(b) 5.
(c) 3.
(d) 10.

3. According to the author in Chapter 2, “Nothing Comes of Nothing,” the ratio of zero to any number is what?
(a) ∞.
(b) 0.
(c) 1.
(d) 3.

4. What term refers to an argument that produces an inconsistency?
(a) Reprimand.
(b) Quantization.
(c) Paradox.
(d) Dividend.

5. Any number multiplied by zero equals what?
(a) 0.
(b) 1.
(c) 15.
(d) -100.

Short Answer Questions

1. The system that equipped the USS Yorktown in 1996 and 1997 was predicted to save $2.8 million per year by reducing the ship’s complement by what percentage?

2. What does the author refer to as “zero’s twin” in the book?

3. Approximately when did Pythagoras live?

4. What was the fifth element that Aristotle proposed, in addition to earth, water, fire, and air?

5. What refers to the mean obtained by taking the reciprocal of the arithmetic mean of the reciprocals of a set of nonzero numbers?

(see the answer key)

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