Interesting Math History

Question :
Where did the concept of Zero originate ?

Answer :
The concept of Zero is attributed to the Hindus. The Hindus were also the first to use zero in the way it is used today. Some symbol was required in positional number systems to mark the place of a power of the base not actually occurring. This was indicated by the Hindus by a small circle, which was called Shunya, the Sanskrit word for vacant. This was translated into the Arabic Sifr about 800 A.D. Subsequent changes have given us the word zero.
In Babylone by middle of the 2nd millenium BC, the lack of a positional value (or zero) was indicated by a space between sexagesimal numerals.

In 498 AD the Indian mathematician and astronomer Aryabhatta stated that Sthanam sthanam dasha gunam means place to place in ten times in value, which may be the origin of the modern decimal-based place value notation. Arabs spread the Hindu decimal zero and its new mathematics to Europe in the Middle Ages.
LINKS DISCLAIMER CONTACT US