On Mon, Jul 04, 2022 at 08:46:11AM +0200, Martin Steffen wrote: [...] > In some sense that's defendable (that what could call natural numbers is > a cultural question or historical, like looking at what Peano did nor > did not define). > > On the other hand, one normally does not just deals with the numbers as > such, one does something with it (like comparing them or calculating > with them) [...] Yes, since Uwe mentioned Peano, that's why I pointed out that Peano doesn't care (you have to get to algebra, i.e. "up" in the conventional foundational ladder) for 0 to have a special role. About the cultural thing... you seem to be a zero-counter (as I am, too): there, too, I think that "our" position isn't in any way "better" -- some theorems look better this way, some that way; some inductions are easier to start at 1, some at 0. Cheers -- t