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by wickedwillie on January 9th, 2005

wickedwillie

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Who invented the concept of "zero"?

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Answers. 29 helpful answers below.

  • by chinnu on November 25th, 2007

    chinnu

    Zero is invented by Indians and the arabs take this and circulate all around.

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  • by   on November 5th, 2009

     

    Chuck Norris

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  • by the artist formerly known as triorion on July 8th, 2008

    the artist formerly known as triorion

    many different cultures realized the concept of zero at different times. the mayas and the aztecs used the idea, and the odds are not good that they could communicate with the babylonians or the arabs.

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  • by Farino on March 18th, 2006

    Farino

    The Babylonians were known to have used a space as a placeholder for empty "columns" as far back as 1700 BC.

    The first records we have of the symbol we use for 0, is from Hindu writings from the late 9th century.
    http://www.mathmojo.com/interestinglessons/originofzero/originofzero.html

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  • by Anonymous on November 5th, 2009

    Anonymous

    Well Mansoor, thanks for your answer. Now we know who to blame all of the problems created by zero. Although people treat zero as a number, it is not a number. You can not use zero as a denominator and therefore you can not divide by zero. Every number divided by itself equals 1 (one) except zero. Consider this simple exercise in algebra.

    1)a = b a is equal to b
    2)a^2 = b * a multiply both sides by a
    3)a^2-b^2 = b*a-b^2 subtract b^2 from both sides
    4)(a+b)*(a-b) = b*(a-b) factor both sides
    5)a+b = b divide both sides by (a - b)
    6)a+a = a as a = b substitute a for b
    7)2a = a a equals 2 times a

    The problem is created in step 5) where (a – b) is zero, thereby dividing by zero.

    Because of zero, every computer programmer in the world now has now has to make 2 checks every time perform division in a program instead of one check. When handling division, they must check to see if a variable used as a divisor has a zero or has nothing (null). Although zero is nothing, the computer’s value for nothing is different than the computer’s value for zero.

    I hope this helps.

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  • by yellowJZ on July 5th, 2009

    yellowJZ

    Although it is commonly cited that the modern concept of zero was invented by an Indian, this is simply acknowledging that the earliest recorded document regarding the concept of zero was an Indian document.

    Concepts in the mathematical sense are not "invented". They are "conceived". (bleh, talk to an english teacher)

    BUT if we're going to talk about it this way, I'm pretty sure the concept of zero was "invented" by the first animal that realized it had none of something.

    And I would like to not that I am not trying to marginalize the accomplishments of any civilization or person.

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  • by Pandiri on June 20th, 2009

    Pandiri

    Apparently, the idea was born independently in many isolated sociaties, hundred thousands years ago, at the very beginnings of math.

    BTW, "Invention" is a misconcept.

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  • by Karen Anne Queen of AB on May 30th, 2009

    Karen Anne Queen of AB

    The New York Mets

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  • by anonymous on May 30th, 2009

    anonymous

    some dudes in india thousands of years ago

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  • by Anonymous on April 8th, 2009

    Anonymous

    All concepts exist in air till someone makes it concrete! Morons, learn to give credit where it is due. Indians came up with the decimal number system and zero was part of it. Coming up with a symbol requires an understanding the concept of it and Aryabhatta came up with rules on zero as to its interaction with otehr numbers.

    Read more and grow your retarded brains!

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  • by akash.itbhu on September 8th, 2008

    akash.itbhu

    ZERO WAS INVENTED BY ARYABHATTA OF INDIA.

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  • by Ben is a bit bored with the Internet on August 30th, 2008

    Ben is a bit bored with the Internet

    Mayans.

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  • by chente1er on August 30th, 2008

    chente1er

    the zero that we know today was developed in the 3rd century by the mayans, how can you say that an empty space represents something, theres no logic in that, so sorry all you indians and babylonians, the mayans were the first to put a dot down and call it zero.

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  • by dragon42tt on December 16th, 2007

    dragon42tt

    Nonsense "Chinnu", indians only invented the symbol, the "Concept" has been around for Thousands of years.

    Before the symbol was invented indians used to use a blank space for ZERO.

    e.g

    2 _ _ 7 (2007) or some used dots e.g 2 . . 7

    and it is said that Zero was first found by arabs, which alot of documents support.

    The truth is, Indians invented the symbol not the concept.

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  • by tux on November 7th, 2009

    tux

    zero was first invented in india.
    The oldest known text to use a decimal place-value system, including a zero, is the Jain text from India entitled the Lokavibhâga, dated 458 CE. This text uses Sanskrit numeral words for the digits, with words such as the Sanskrit word for void for zero. The first known use of special glyphs for the decimal digits that includes the indubitable appearance of a symbol for the digit zero, a small circle, appears on a stone inscription found at the Chaturbhuja Temple at Gwalior in India, dated 876 CE. There are many documents on copper plates, with the same small o in them.

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  • by Jacques on November 5th, 2009

    Jacques

    Zorro's half brother.

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  • by mansoor on May 31st, 2009

    mansoor

    u dum shits

    i pity you all

    YOU may ponder at such accusations?

    before you jump to conclusions, ponder at this; in Japan the people are not told of in their books or by their teachers that U.S dropped two bombs thats still killing people today, its killed over millions, whether you look at directly or indirectly; i dont really give a shit.

    AND HERE YOU ARE, TELLIN ME ABOUT ANCIENT TEXT

    loool, such a group, so impotent and disgraceful in their 'new'[modern] ways. go back to your huts you filthy dirty western European infidels, do you not realize that there is no such thing as 'middle east' geographically? The muslim countries take about 60 % of europe, even more, if you would like to be precise, i just didn't give the true value to avoid humiliation to the impotent readers. Europe, only a little awhile ago, was controlled by muslims. Western europe, the mistake, godforbidden, we made, was we allowed the Christians and jews to have their own little state.
    We went further, we allowed their students to come our empire and treated them as our own brothers, and taught them useful techniques in developing the nature of mankind, a very good example is Hospitals. Hospitals were invented by muslims, and yet, it took them so long for it to be invented in the western side of europe which is so small. God bewilling, we may have made the mistake, by treating you as our brothers and sisters not too long ago, by furnishing you with knowledge, which we helped you translate from arabic to latin, and then plagerizing? Calling us the filthy arabs? im not even arab, but im muslim and im afghany. but you impotent infidels, do you see why your race is degrading? do you see why jew's who acknowledged the last prophet, peace be upon him, and converted to islam, and some to this day, who havnt officialy converted, are still devoted? DO you see the zionists, the jews who refused to acknowledge their own teachings, are now religion free, and creating the 'scienctology' religion or evolution. It is only meant to be digested by the impotent men of the western europe whom we mistakenly devoted in helping. Do u not understand the fact, that you too, are humans, which is why we respected you. But now, that the zionists controll above 95% of the media, and flourishing the world with such messages, you will most of you, god be willing, this time, either displaced or buried. Mercy has left us, i speak for most of the muslims, even though we still have some sympathizers, because you christians, are not guility, for you are not aware of the disgraceful acts you commit, but when, WHEN you are told that the acts you commit are disgracful even to your teachings, then god be willing, the mercy has left us, it is then when we may begin.

    THE MUSLIMS, INVENTED THE CONCEPT OF ZERO.

    if any of you have any idea, what the word placeholder means, then please do so state it, so we can all devour the knowledge that your brain holds.

    zero was never used or even talked about by mayans of hindus or the Babylonians.

    u may ask, wow, is this guy serious?

    before you ask, look up the definition of 'place holder'

    the mayans, which im writing a research report right now on, and giving a presentation, which is a huge part of my exam mark, did the following;

    they created bars, represent five and dots represent one. But they used the basis of the powers of 20, rather 10 as we do, for their system which hey called vigesimal. but they had levels, each level was a power of 20. If they wanted to represent 50, they would put 2 bars in the first level, 2 dots in the second level (2 dots in second level = 2 * 20 each dot represented the increasingly power of 20 as the levels also increase) but if you wanted to represent 60, you needed 3 dots in the second level, but how could you tell that it was not in the first level? so to differentiate they used placed, what they value most, and by the way the system itself was evolved around this, coco beans. Shape of cocobeans? anyone who thinks theyre computer would function if it had not been for the muslims, then please, i beg you, answer.

    so it was used as a placeholder.

    they could of chosen a banana instead of a cocobean, that would be a cursive "l" and guess wat?! omfg! then the western small christians wouldn't act so filthy and illerate for once!

    wat dreams i have.
    lol

    same thing by the way from the hindus.

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  • by Eltinwe has a life Swan - DYOH on July 8th, 2008

    Eltinwe has a life Swan - DYOH

    I read a great book on that some years ago. I think this is the one: http://www.amazon.com/Zero-Biography-Dangerous-Charles-Seife/dp/0140296476/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215554015&sr=1-1

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  • by Puneet_K on February 12th, 2011

    Puneet_K

    acc. to most early evidences....
    indians...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZexVATbtwoM

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  • by hjsk on April 28th, 2010

    hjsk

    Brahmagupta. He wrote several books and was the first one appearantly to mention '0' as a number.

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  • by -O-uknow on March 2nd, 2010

    -O-uknow

    .. and were no zeros but heroes.

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  • by GregPredmore on May 30th, 2009

    GregPredmore

    I'm thinking the Chinese or the Egyptians.

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  • by CaRbOnPrOdUcK is Baccuss on May 31st, 2009

    CaRbOnPrOdUcK is Baccuss

    n 2000-1800 B.C.E., it was not until about 200-300
    B.C.E. that the Babylonians began using a symbol that would evolve into
    what we today know as zero. I never could find out Who the individual was who developed it, just the date it came to be.

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  • by asok on July 23rd, 2009

    asok

    Indians invented Zero

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  • by cool2245 on February 25th, 2010

    cool2245

    I did, i am a chinadude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

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  • by FutureMarine95 on July 5th, 2009

    FutureMarine95

    ariabian or indian i believe....somewhere in middle east

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  • by hearts on June 6th, 2009

    hearts

    The mathmatic person did.

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  • by you name it on May 31st, 2009

    you name it

    Mayans No 1 else.

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  • by Nada Normal on November 5th, 2009

    Nada Normal

    I did, most common entry in my checkbook

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