Metchosin said:

"If you have 0 and multiply it by 1, you still have 0. But then again, If you have 1 and multiply it by 0, shouldn't you still have your original 1? "

First, remember there is a difference between figures and numbers. It's sort of the difference between letters and words. Figures are only the written elements with wich we build representations of numbers, which refer to quantities.

With that in mind: Zero is not a number (not a quantity); it is the absence of a quantity. Multiplication is sort of the equivalent of an adjective-noun combination. Thus, if you multiply zero times one, you are creating the absence of one. Or, you could say that you have one empty quantity. Either way, it's nuthin'.

Sorry to spoil the happy nature of this thread by actually giving an answer.

Dave Oesterreich