The set of matrices with entries in a ring K forms a ring . The zero matrix in is the matrix with all entries equal to , where is the additive identity in K.
The zero matrix is the additive identity in .[4] That is, for all it satisfies the equation
There is exactly one zero matrix of any given dimension m×n (with entries from a given ring), so when the context is clear, one often refers to the zero matrix. In general, the zero element of a ring is unique, and is typically denoted by 0 without any subscript indicating the parent ring. Hence the examples above represent zero matrices over any ring.
The zero matrix also represents the linear transformation which sends all the vectors to the zero vector.[5] It is idempotent, meaning that when it is multiplied by itself, the result is itself.
The zero matrix is the only matrix whose rank is 0.