Invention of Zero शुन्य का जन्म --- जब ज़ीरो दिया मेरे भारत ने, दुनिया को तब गिनती आयी

My Dear Young and Little Indians,

What is Zero ?
Zero is ‘Nothing’.

But the world of Mathematics has no value without this ‘Nothing’.

Our numeric system (numbers) consists of 10 basic numbers – 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. All other numbers are made as a combination of these 10 numbers or digits.

There was a time when there were only 9 numbers.
There was no number ‘0’.

Before the invention of Zero, mathematicians struggled to make the simplest arithmetic calculations.

Ancient civilisations around the world had a vague concept of what we call ‘zero’ today.
Zero was not a number then. It was a ‘place holder’

They used a ‘blank space’ or a ‘random figure’ as a place holder instead of zero.

Now what is a ‘place holder’ ?

Take the number 893.
Today we know that the place of 3 is called ‘Units’ place.
Place of 9 is called ‘Tens’ place
Place of 8 is called ‘Hundred’ place.

Now take the number 803 (Eight Hundred Three).
The number in the ‘Tens’ place is ‘0’.

When there was no number ‘0’ then….They would write it as 8_3 or 8//3.

The “_” or “//” denotes the ‘Tens’ place. It was a substitute of what we call zero today.

Another example could be……

I have 9 apples.
(9 is the highest single digit number)

My friend gave me one more apple.
Now I have 9+1 apples

9+1 will be a two digit number starting with the first digit ‘1’.
 But how do I write this ?

I will write it as “1_” or “1//”

After 99 the number of digits will increase to three.

This will be written as 1_ _

The next number will be 1_1.

This methodology worked till the time it was just about writing a number.

The problem started when calculations had to be done !

Now how would you multiply” 8_3” by “5”
(in today’s mathematical language it is 803 multiplied by 5)

Or “8_3” divided by “3_”
(in today’s mathematical language it is 803 divided by 30)

This is where INDIA made the most significant contribution to Mathematics- India created the number ZERO.

In 628 AD or 628 CE, a Hindu astronomer, mathematician and scholar Brahmagupt defined Zero for the first time as a number.

Initially Zero was denoted by a dot.

Astrology, Mathematics and every kind of Science would have been nothing had INDIA not created Zero. 🇮🇳

 

Brahmagupt was born and lived Bhinmal (Rajasthan). He later migrated to Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.

The earliest known record of Zero (denoted by a round/ oval figure) is from the 9th century in a temple inside the Gwalior Fort in Madhya Pradesh.

Mathematical number ‘Zero’ HAD to be invented in India. 🙂 Why ?

Zero or ‘Nothingness’ is an Indian concept.

Of all the civilizations, it is INDIA that believes in ‘Nothingness’.
We believe that the world and all living beings are created out of nothing and one day we all go back to being nothing.....We term this as “Shunyta” शून्यता

Hence Zero is called Shunya शुन्य by Indians

Do you know शुन्य is one of the names of God Vishnu ?

विष्णु सहस्त्रनाम “Vishnu Sahastrnam” is a Sanskrit hymn or document that contains 1,000 names of God Vishnu.

विष्णु सहस्त्रनाम is written by Sage Ved Vyas.

Shlok श्लोक No. 79 calls God Vishnu by this name-

God Vishnu has no attributes and cannot be defined hence he is called शुन्य

 

My Dear Young and Little Indians,

Today Mathematics and Science are what they are because of INDIA.

अपने योगदान को पहचानिये

गर्व करिये अपने आप पर और अपने राष्ट्र पर

हमें गर्व है हम भारतीय हैं

Jai Hind !