The invention of zero

663 points · 17 comments · view on lemmy.world

17 Comments

youcantreadthis@quokk.au · 27 pts · 85d (1 reply)

This is why you shouldn't learn math

0ops@piefed.zip · 6 pts · 85d

It only ends in heartbreak

stenAanden@feddit.dk · 15 pts · 85d (3 replies)

I guess it's the different cultures that invented the number zero?

Except Babylon didn't?

ellen.kimble@piefed.social · 3 pts · 85d (2 replies)

The Maya invented zero

SorryQuick@lemmy.ca · 9 pts · 85d (1 reply)

Technically Babylon and Egypt first had what could be described as a concept of zero, while India invented the modern mathematical zero.

ellen.kimble@piefed.social · 2 pts · 85d

They first had a blank space, not mathematical zero

FishFace@piefed.social · 9 pts · 85d

The Babylonians did not have a concept of zero. They had a symbol for a zero in their base 60 numeral system, but didn't use it as a standalone number or concept.

MyVeryRealName@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 85d (5 replies)

Who's the guy with the long beard?

The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 85d (4 replies)

Confucius

slothrop@lemmy.ca · 13 pts · 85d (3 replies)

Say what?

prospero@lemmy.ml · 7 pts · 85d

Don't worry buddy, atleast one person got the joke

The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 85d (1 reply)

In the bottom right. If they meant the stone guy:

The relief was originally found in the palace of King Sargon II at Dur-Sharrukin (modern-day Khorsabad, Iraq).

I don't think there's a specific Arab scholar credited with coming up with the concept of zero.

MyVeryRealName@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 85d

Wasn't it Aryabhatta who came up with the concept of zero?

possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip · 8 pts · 85d

Fun fact: He didn't invent zero. He simply was willing to part with the idea that the number zero was unholy. People back in the day associated zero with hell.

DagwoodIII@piefed.social · 6 pts · 85d
notabot@piefed.social · 4 pts · 85d

They're saying he has more than 9 girlfriends? I mean, yes, inventing the concept of place value, and the necesary zero, is impressive, but I don't think he'll be attracting that many ladies at once!

OpenStars@piefed.social · 3 pts · 85d

Nerdy thoughts about what that concept unlocks for us all:

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