# How to let enumeration start at (0) automatically?

As we know the enumeration usually begin at (1), then followed by (2), (3),...

My question: How to start at (0)? I know \item[(0)] will work, but how do I do this automatically? That is, make it as a default option.

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With the enumitem package just say \setlist[enumerate,1]{start=0} –  egreg Mar 4 '13 at 14:36
@egreg Yes, it works, thank you. However, the second layer will start at () instead of (a)... –  Popopo Mar 4 '13 at 14:39
There is no zero'th letter, so \arabic* is the only format supporting zero –  daleif Mar 4 '13 at 14:52

I really don't know why one should want it. However, here's a solution with the enumitem package.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{enumitem}
\setlist[enumerate,1]{start=0} % only outer nesting level
\begin{document}
\begin{enumerate}
\item zero
\item one
\begin{enumerate}
\item a
\item b
\end{enumerate}
\item two
\end{enumerate}
\end{document}


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Thank you a lot. –  Popopo Mar 4 '13 at 15:04
"I thought that by now professional programmers knew how much more preferable it is to let the natural numbers start at 0." -Dijkstra, On a Somewhat Disappointing Correspondence –  ben yesterday
@ben Yes, the natural numbers start at zero, but you're numbering the first item. Before any item the number of items is zero, when the first item appears it has number one. –  egreg yesterday