When Was Zero Created? – The Fascinating Story of Nothing
The concept of zero means the absence of a quantity. Now try to imagine playing a video game or trying to solve your math homework without the number zero. The number “0” has a historical past and is given a lot of importance in the field of mathematics.
Why Is Zero So Important?
Think of zero as a superhero (like Batman), Zero is a very important number because it is considered the building block of many modern fields like modern mathematics. The number “0” is important in the field of computer science and robotics as programming involves the number 0s (and 1s). The field of physics also heavily uses the number zero, which means zero is not just “nothing” but it’s a placeholder, a base requirement for various fields.
The Birth of Zero in India
The number zero has deep roots in Indian history. In Hindi, the word zero is referred to as “Shunya”. Prominent Indian mathematicians Aryabhata and Brahmagupta are credited with using “0” as a placeholder around the 5th-7th century in their mathematical calculations.
The Spread of Zero Across the World
The spread of the number zero was a slow process, it began from:
- The Arabic Word:
The number zero began its journey in Indian history and it made its way around the Islamic world in the 9th century. The mathematician Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī adopted the Indian number and added it to his Arabic number system. The number zero was referred to as “sifr” in Arabic.
- The European World:
The number zero was introduced in Europe by Leonardo of Pisa (also known as Fibonacci). He learned about the number zero on a merchant tour in Tunisia and then when he arrived back in Europe he spread the number throughout European land.
Life Before Zero
Have you ever thought about life before the number zero? How did ancient civilizations count? Let me explain how counting was performed in olden times:
- Tally Marks in Early Counting
According to archeologists, ancient civilizations used to count through tally markings on walls and rocks, using stones or sticks to create deep marks. This system had to evolve as numbers began to increase and more things had to be counted and recorded.
- Egyptians and Greek Number Systems
Egyptians and Greeks both had their number systems, but no concept of “0”. According to findings, the Greeks did debate on the idea of “nothingness” but it was never developed into a usable number.
- Sumerian Civilization Number System
The people of Sumerian civilization created a numbering system based on units of 60. They used a placeholder, similar to the concept of zero, but the idea was not fully developed. Their “empty space” symbol is considered a major step towards the number “zero”
Zero in Modern Mathematics
Zero has a lot of importance in the modern world and the field of modern mathematics:
- Zero is considered the foundation of
- Calculus
- Algebra
- Arithmetic
- In computer science there is a binary code that is 0s and 1s, which is the language of computers!
- Fields like accounting, finance, stock markets run on the importance of the number zero
- Things like video games, robots, banking and space exploration would not exist if the number “0” did not exist
Can you ever imagine your life without the internet and technology? If not, then you should think about the importance of the number zero.
Fun Facts About Zero
- Did you know zero is a neutral number? It is neither positive nor negative
- There are other words for zero around the world like: sifr, zilch, nil, naught, nada
- The number zero was used the first time in English around 1598
- Zero plays an important role in many mathematical fields like algebra, arithmetic, etc.
- The number zero has a deep history and was created long ago
- Indian mathematicians Aryabhata and Brahmagupta are often credited with the creation of the number zero.
Conclusion – The Power of Nothing
The number zero has deep historical roots and took thousands of years to be invented. This tells us how even the concept of “nothing” can change the world. We should always be fascinated with how things are created and learning is very important so tell me can you think about any other number which you want to get to know more about?