Among my favorite mathematical ideas are the seeming-paradoxes -- notions that require a twist and a turn and a leap before one can say "aha." Using a symbol for "nothing" is one of those leap-requiring ideas. I don't remember when I first understood zero, but I have enjoyed watching my children -- and now grandchildren -- grapple with ideas of things that are absent rather than present.
Here, from Hailey Leithauser, is a poem that celebrates the cipher.
Showing posts with label Hailey Leithauser. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hailey Leithauser. Show all posts
Monday, June 20, 2011
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