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zero-based indexing

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IT Services Circle
IT Services Circle
Feb 15, 2025 · Fundamentals

Why Array Indices Start at Zero: History, Memory Layout, and Practical Benefits

Array indexing begins at zero due to historical decisions dating back to early languages like B and C, memory layout efficiencies that avoid extra subtraction, mathematical elegance of half-open intervals, and practical advantages in loops, hashing, multidimensional arrays, and language design, making zero-based indexing the de‑facto standard.

C languagearray indexingmemory layout
0 likes · 8 min read
Why Array Indices Start at Zero: History, Memory Layout, and Practical Benefits
Full-Stack Internet Architecture
Full-Stack Internet Architecture
Jul 14, 2020 · Fundamentals

Why Zero‑Based Indexing Is Preferred in Programming Languages

The article explains the historical and technical reasons why most programming languages adopt zero‑based indexing for arrays and loops, illustrating the concept with C, Python and early languages, and showing how zero‑based offsets simplify pointer arithmetic and enable elegant slice syntax.

C languagePythonarrays
0 likes · 8 min read
Why Zero‑Based Indexing Is Preferred in Programming Languages