Answer:
the zero power of anything (except 0) is 1, so ab^0 = a·1 = a
Explanation:
We assume you're concerned with the exponential function ...
f(x) = a(b^x)
The factor b^x will be b^0 when x=0. This is generally what we mean when we say "initial value."
The value of b^0 is always 1 (for any non-zero value of b). So the initial value of the function is ...
f(0) = a(b^0) = a(1) = a