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My brother brought something to my attention earlier this morning and I cannot find the answer with just a googling to end the argument, so I have come to you to ask and understand.

$(0! \ 0! \ 0!) = n$

He says that $n$ is $6$. I say that $n$ is $1$.

My reasoning: $0!=1$ so $1*1*1=1$

His reasoning: He won't explain it because he doesn't want to argue about it anymore, but he did mention something about absolute value, which didn't make sense because I saw no $||$ anywhere in the equation.

I don't care who's right. I just want to know what the right answer is and how this equation is solved.

UPDATE: So, since I spoke to him and showed him what all of you said, he said that the equation was actually $(0!+0!+0!)!=6$, which means that what was written on the piece of paper that he had given me was written in error.

Ski Mask
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Urdungo
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    Your reasoning is correct. $0!$ is $1$, and $1^3 = 1$. – Joel Aug 15 '14 at 19:59
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    the only way this is 6 is if $$(0! +0! + 0!)!$$ – Chinny84 Aug 15 '14 at 20:00
  • Thank you, Chinny84. I will let him know, even though he won't want to hear it. – Urdungo Aug 15 '14 at 20:01
  • Welcome to Math.SE! There is a FAQ about how to ask good questions, and the Help Center has other information about participating in the Community, earning Reputation, etc. – hardmath Aug 15 '14 at 20:01
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    Thanks, hardmath. Was my question not a good question? – Urdungo Aug 15 '14 at 20:02
  • Since "(0! 0! 0!) = n" is a strange way to write the cube of the factorial of zero, maybe actually something else was written, and this is merely an erroneous transcription of it. – GEdgar Aug 15 '14 at 20:07
  • I thought the same thing, GEdgar, but that was what was written on the paper that he handed me. – Urdungo Aug 15 '14 at 20:09
  • @FuzzyMcNubNubs: Perhaps a good Question could be formed somehow from these ingredients, but generally if you can Google the Answer for yourself, I would discourage asking here. You said you tried, so I'll take your word for it, but entering $0!0!0!$ in the Google Search Box does produce the Answer. – hardmath Aug 16 '14 at 18:35

1 Answers1

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If you mean "what is the factorial of (zero cubed)?", then$$\left(0^3\right)!=0!=1.$$

If you mean "what is (the factorial of zero) cubed?", then $$\left(0!\right)^3=1^3=1.$$

In either case, you're correct.


To see why $0!=1,$ see this.

beep-boop
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