0 (zero) is a number representing an empty quantity. In place-value notation such as the Hindu–Arabic numeral system, 0 also serves as a placeholder numerical digit, which works by multiplying digits to the left of 0 by the radix, usually by 10. As a number, 0 fulfills a central role in mathematics as the additive identity of the integers, real numbers, and other algebraic structures. Common names for the number 0 in English are zero, nought, naught (/nɔːt/), nil. In contexts where at least one adjacent digit distinguishes it from the letter O, the number is explicitly pronounced as oh or o (/oʊ/). Informal or slang terms for 0 include zilch and zip. Historically, ought, aught (/ɔːt/), and cipher, have also been used. Zero is the value of false in many programming languages.
