Last visit was: 05 Sep 2026, 14:04 It is currently 05 Sep 2026, 14:04
Home
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
KillerSquirrel
User avatar
Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Last visit: 28 Mar 2009
Posts: 520
Own Kudos:
665
Posts: 520
Kudos: 665
All of us know that n^0 = 1, but how many of us know why? I Updated on: 03 Oct 2007, 15:33
Originally posted by KillerSquirrel on 03 Oct 2007, 03:23.
Last edited by KillerSquirrel on 03 Oct 2007, 15:33, edited 1 time in total.
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
All of us know that n^0 = 1, but how many of us know why?
I found this nice explanation at https://mathforum.org/dr.math/

"Let's first look at an example. Let's look at the list of numbers 3^1, 3^2, 3^3, 3^4, ....

Finding the actual values, we get 3, 9, 27, 81, ....

So what is the pattern in the bottom sequence? Well, every time you move to the right in the list you multiply by 3, and every time you move to the left in the list you divide by 3. So we could take the bottom sequence and keep going to the left and dividing by 3, and we'd have the sequence that looks like this:

..., 3^-3, 3^-2, 3^-1, 3^0, 3^1, 3^2, 3^3, 3^4, ....

..., 1/27, 1/9, 1/3, 1, 3, 9, 27, 81, .... "

:)



Archived Topic
Hi there,
This topic has been closed and archived due to inactivity or violation of community quality standards. No more replies are possible here.
Where to now? Join ongoing discussions on thousands of quality questions in our Quantitative Questions Forum
Still interested in this question? Check out the "Best Topics" block below for a better discussion on this exact question, as well as several more related questions.
Thank you for understanding, and happy exploring!
User avatar
Fig
User avatar
Joined: 01 May 2006
Last visit: 02 Feb 2025
Posts: 1,031
Own Kudos:
254
Posts: 1,031
Kudos: 254
All of us know that n^0 = 1, but how many of us know why? I 03 Oct 2007, 05:52
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Your link is not working...

To me, I see it like this:

n^0
= n^(1-1)
= n / n
= 1

:)

For the GMAT, n must be different from 0 :)
User avatar
KillerSquirrel
User avatar
Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Last visit: 28 Mar 2009
Posts: 520
Own Kudos:
665
Posts: 520
Kudos: 665
All of us know that n^0 = 1, but how many of us know why? I 04 Oct 2007, 07:08
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Fig
Your link is not working...

To me, I see it like this:

n^0
= n^(1-1)
= n / n
= 1

:)

For the GMAT, n must be different from 0 :)
Show more


Nice !

:)



Archived Topic
Hi there,
This topic has been closed and archived due to inactivity or violation of community quality standards. No more replies are possible here.
Where to now? Join ongoing discussions on thousands of quality questions in our Quantitative Questions Forum
Still interested in this question? Check out the "Best Topics" block above for a better discussion on this exact question, as well as several more related questions.
Thank you for understanding, and happy exploring!