Concept of zero in various ancient civilizations
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/0_(number)#History_of_zero
Result on zero by ancient civilization
why concept of zero in various civilisation.
The concept of zero, or the numerical symbol representing nothing, has a fascinating history across ancient civilizations. While the concept may seem basic and essential in modern mathematics, it was not universally recognized or represented by ancient cultures. Here's a look at how the concept of zero emerged in some of these civilizations:
1. Mesopotamia: The ancient civilization of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) developed a number system around 2000 BCE. Although they did not have a specific symbol for zero, they used an empty space to represent it in their positional number system. For example, in the number 205, the absence of a symbol between the two zeros indicated zero.
2. Mayans: The Mayans, who flourished in Central America around 2000 BCE to 900 CE, considered the concept of zero as early as the 4th century CE. They used a shell-like symbol "o" to denote zero in their elaborate base-20 numerical system. This use of zero allowed them to perform complex calculations and create calendars.
3. Ancient India: The concept of zero as a digit and a placeholder was fully developed in ancient India around the 5th century CE. Indian mathematicians, such as Brahmagupta and Aryabhata, not only recognized zero but also explored its mathematical properties. The Indian numeral system, including zero, eventually spread to the Arab world and Europe.
4. Ancient China: Unlike India, the ancient Chinese mathematicians did not embrace zero as a digit in their number system until much later. While they had numerals to represent zero, the Chinese mathematical tradition predominantly used counting rods, which did not have a symbolic representation for zero.
The concept of zero took time to develop and gain acceptance in different ancient civilizations. The introduction of zero was closely tied to the advancement of mathematical knowledge and the need to express the absence of a numerical value. It is through the efforts of various cultures that zero became a fundamental component of modern mathematics.