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Definition

Additive Identity

The additive identity is the number 00. When 00 is added to any number, the value of that number remains unchanged. In formal terms, for any number aa: a+0=aa + 0 = a and 0+a=a0 + a = a. The name "identity" reflects the idea that the number keeps its identity — it stays the same — after the addition. Zero is the only number with this property, which is why it is uniquely called the additive identity.

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Updated 2026-05-02

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