What does the cryptic crossword clue "Zero added to fifty plus one for English mathematician (8)" mean?

The definition is "English mathematician". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). LOVE (synonym="zero in tennis scoring") + L (synonym="fifty in Roman numerals") + ACE (synonym="one in playing cards") = LOVELACE; definition: "English mathematician" The answer is LOVELACE.

Zero added to fifty plus one for English mathematician (8)

Independent Cryptic #11809 | 6 Down | 2024-08-15 flower

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