Page:The Hindu-Arabic Numerals (1911).djvu/63

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CHAPTER IV
THE SYMBOL ZERO

What has been said of the improved Hindu system with a place value does not touch directly the origin of a symbol for zero, although it assumes that such a symbol exists. The importance of such a sign, the fact that it is a prerequisite to a place-value system, and the further fact that without it the Hindu-Arabic numerals would never have dominated the computation system of the western world, make it proper to devote a chapter to its origin and. history.

It was some centuries after the primitive Brahmi and Kharosthi numerals had made their appearance in India that the zero first appeared there, although such a character was used by the Babylonians[1] in the centuries immediately preceding the Christian era. The symbol is (Symbol missingsymbol characters) or (Symbol missingsymbol characters), and apparently it was not used in calculation. Nor does it always occur when units of any order are lacking; thus 180 is written (Symbol missingsymbol characters) with the meaning three sixties and no units, since 181 immediately following is (Symbol missingsymbol characters), three sixties and one unit.[2] The main

  1. ↑ Franz X. Kugler, Die Babylonische Mondrechnung, Freiburg i. Br., 1900, in the numerous plates at the end of the book; practically all of these contain the symbol to which reference is made. Cantor, Geschichte, Vol. I, p. 31.
  2. ↑ F. X. Kugler, Sternkunde und Sterndienst in Babel, I. Buch, from the beginnings to the time of Christ, Münster i. Westfalen, 1907. It also has numerous tables containing the above zero.

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