In the beginning there In the beginning there was ZERO and it was was ZERO and it was

nullnullThe origin of zeroThe origin of zero

Prehistoric man did count. Prehistoric man did count. Whether with marks on Whether with marks on the cave wall or grooves the cave wall or grooves on a stick. He counted on a stick. He counted the seasons, the number the seasons, the number of deer killed in the last of deer killed in the last hunt, and the members hunt, and the members of his tribe. He had no of his tribe. He had no need to count zero need to count zero mammothsmammoths

The The SSiriona Indians of Bolivia use the word iriona Indians of Bolivia use the word many for anything larger than 3.The Bacari many for anything larger than 3.The Bacari and Bororo use what amounts to a base two and Bororo use what amounts to a base two number system, counting “1,2”, “1,2”.number system, counting “1,2”, “1,2”.

But because nature saw But because nature saw fit to give us five fingers fit to give us five fingers on each hand, most on each hand, most ancient peoples used a ancient peoples used a base five counting base five counting system. It is probably system. It is probably because of the fact that because of the fact that we have ten fingers total we have ten fingers total that led to our use of a that led to our use of a base ten counting base ten counting system.system.

The Egyptians, Greeks, and The Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all used different Romans all used different symbols for different symbols for different numbers. These symbols numbers. These symbols were grouped together to were grouped together to form larger numbers. The form larger numbers. The arrangement was not arrangement was not important, the meaning was important, the meaning was the same. Zero had no value the same. Zero had no value and was not necessary to and was not necessary to these cultures. these cultures.

It was the Babylonians who It was the Babylonians who first introduced a symbol for first introduced a symbol for zero. They used a base sixty zero. They used a base sixty counting system, which they counting system, which they calculated with another of calculated with another of their inventions, the abacus. their inventions, the abacus. But because the symbol for But because the symbol for 60 and the symbol for 3600 60 and the symbol for 3600 were the same, their written were the same, their written numbers needed a symbol to numbers needed a symbol to show their placement on the show their placement on the abacus. So zero was born in abacus. So zero was born in the symbolthe symbol

So, 64 was writtenSo, 64 was written

AndAnd

3604 was written with 3604 was written with the zerothe zero

                                                            

      top: 64 (1 sixty + 4 ones)

ottom: 3604 (1 sixty2 + 0 sixty + 4 ones)

At this point the only purpose of zero was as a At this point the only purpose of zero was as a placeholder, very much the way we use it placeholder, very much the way we use it today to distinguish 11 from 101.today to distinguish 11 from 101.

The Ancient Mayans The Ancient Mayans also used zero as a also used zero as a placeholder for their placeholder for their base twenty numeration. base twenty numeration. Unlike the Babylonians, Unlike the Babylonians, zero had a numerical zero had a numerical value of its own and value of its own and they began counting they began counting with zero.with zero.

                

0

                

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Nearly every culture has a creation myth or Nearly every culture has a creation myth or story, and most begin with an empty void and story, and most begin with an empty void and churning chaos. This concept was frightening churning chaos. This concept was frightening to the western mind, so while the idea of zero to the western mind, so while the idea of zero spread and was used throughout the east, it spread and was used throughout the east, it was resisted and even called evil in the west. was resisted and even called evil in the west. And what would have been its purpose And what would have been its purpose anyway. You can add 0+0 but you still have 0.anyway. You can add 0+0 but you still have 0.

There were many great Greek mathematicians, but all There were many great Greek mathematicians, but all rejected both the theory of the infinite and the void on rejected both the theory of the infinite and the void on religious grounds. Aristotle declared that each of the religious grounds. Aristotle declared that each of the planets is imbedded in its own clear orb revolving in planets is imbedded in its own clear orb revolving in succession around the central planet earth, each succession around the central planet earth, each spherical crystal turning the one before. The final orb spherical crystal turning the one before. The final orb was a dark blue crystal imbedded with the stars. The was a dark blue crystal imbedded with the stars. The entire universe was contained within this system. The entire universe was contained within this system. The fact the last orb too turned Aristotle said was proof of fact the last orb too turned Aristotle said was proof of God’s existence. There was no void. God’s existence. There was no void.

When Christianity began When Christianity began to make its way through to make its way through Europe Aristotle’s Europe Aristotle’s theory spread with it theory spread with it and was embraced by and was embraced by the church.the church.

During the middle ages During the middle ages there were very few there were very few literates, other than the literates, other than the Christian monks. The Christian monks. The Church being based in Church being based in Rome, used both the Roman Rome, used both the Roman calendar and Roman calendar and Roman numerals which have no numerals which have no zero. The Church saw God zero. The Church saw God as representing all things as representing all things and to speak of null and and to speak of null and void was heresyvoid was heresy..

In India where it is In India where it is believed that all creation believed that all creation came from the void, and came from the void, and the goal of the soul is to the goal of the soul is to return to the void and return to the void and the creator, the concept the creator, the concept of null was easily of null was easily accepted.accepted.

So, when Alexander the Great brought the Babylonian So, when Alexander the Great brought the Babylonian idea of zero as a place holder it was accepted and taken idea of zero as a place holder it was accepted and taken one step further. They used a base ten number system one step further. They used a base ten number system and assigned zero a numerical value. The numerical and assigned zero a numerical value. The numerical system we use today evolved from this system. This system we use today evolved from this system. This acceptance of the number zero allowed the Indian acceptance of the number zero allowed the Indian mathametians to develop another new concept, ”the mathametians to develop another new concept, ”the negative number”. If zero had a numerical vale then you negative number”. If zero had a numerical vale then you could have less than zero, as in 2-3=-1. could have less than zero, as in 2-3=-1.

In the seventh century AD the In the seventh century AD the Arabic Empire began its Arabic Empire began its conquest, spreading from Egypt, conquest, spreading from Egypt, Syria, Persia and Jerusalem, to the Syria, Persia and Jerusalem, to the Indus River in the east and the Indus River in the east and the Algiers in the West. By the Algiers in the West. By the middle of the eighth century they middle of the eighth century they were in control of Spain and India were in control of Spain and India and China, absorbing the wisdom and China, absorbing the wisdom of the people they conquered of the people they conquered along with the Indian numerical along with the Indian numerical system.system.

In the twelfth century, Maimonides, a Jewish In the twelfth century, Maimonides, a Jewish mathematician and Rabbi living in a Spain mathematician and Rabbi living in a Spain under Muslin rule declared that Aristotle was under Muslin rule declared that Aristotle was wrong. For Aristotle the universe had always wrong. For Aristotle the universe had always existed. Maimonides said this contradicted the existed. Maimonides said this contradicted the Bible, which stated that God created the world Bible, which stated that God created the world out a void. Now Zero became acceptable to out a void. Now Zero became acceptable to Jewish scholars as well.Jewish scholars as well.

The final resistance to zero was The final resistance to zero was broken during the twelfth and broken during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Peasants, thirteenth centuries. Peasants, noblemen, monks, and even noblemen, monks, and even children went off to fight the children went off to fight the infidels. Many never to return, but infidels. Many never to return, but those who did brought with them those who did brought with them Eastern ideas, as well as silks and Eastern ideas, as well as silks and leprosy. In 1277 Tempier, a bishop leprosy. In 1277 Tempier, a bishop in Paris, declared that to say that in Paris, declared that to say that God could not create from a void God could not create from a void was to say that God was not all was to say that God was not all powerful. Zero was beginning to powerful. Zero was beginning to gain acceptance in the west. gain acceptance in the west.

Fibonacci, an Italian educated in Fibonacci, an Italian educated in North Africa, learned Arabic North Africa, learned Arabic mathematics and introduced them to mathematics and introduced them to the western world in his book, the western world in his book, “Liber Abaci”, published in 1202. “Liber Abaci”, published in 1202. Italian bankers and merchants found Italian bankers and merchants found Arabic numbers and calculation so Arabic numbers and calculation so much easier than previous methods much easier than previous methods that they accepted it and zero that they accepted it and zero immediately. immediately.

The government and Church still resisted this change and in 1299 Florence outlawed the use of Arabic numerals on the grounds that the numbers were too easily altered. Businessmen continued to use them, even using them to send code messages. Now zero and Arabic numerals were an accepted form of calculation .

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