Zero and the Hindu-Arabic System

1. Zero and the Hindu-Arabic System By Lauren Schooley

2. Introduction • The number zero (0) is the equivalent of nothing in the Hindu-Arabic number system. The Hindu-Arabic system is the ten-digit number system that we use today. If you add zero to any number it will stay the same. It is the same way if you subtract zero from any number. Multiplying a number by zero will get you zero. • In 628 AD, the Indian mathematician Brahmagupta gave rules for using zero. • Without zero, mathematics would be impossible.

3. Historical Facts • The Hindu-Arabic system originated in India. • Around 130 AD, the mathematician, Fibonacci, introduced Zero to Europe. • When the people of Europe found out about the new number system they were scared. They were used to the Roman Numerals. • European money changers used the abacus, the Roman Numeral way of calculating. The abacus rounds off two decimal places, but mathematicians don’t. This meant that the two answers would be different, and the mathematician's answer would be more, so it would look like the mathematicians were cheating people.

4. The Roman Numerals When Zero and the Hindu-Arabic system were being introduced to Europe, the Roman Numerals had been around for hundreds of years. This made spreading through Europe very hard for the new system. The Roman Numerals use letters to represent numbers instead of having completely different symbols altogether. I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X… The abacus

5. Introduction to Europe Fibbonacci introduced zero to Europe, but it was not widely used there until about 800AD. The number zero and the Hindu-Arabic system took a while to be used by everyone because the abacus and Roman Numerals had been around for hundreds of years. This made the Zero part of the system hard to get the hang of because the numbers in Europe were all calculated by abacus, so there was no need for a place holder. When the new system was introduced it took many years for people to understand it.

6. The Expansion of Math In the 1400s, the printing press was invented. This was a major boost in the amount of math used because books could be printed and sent far and wide, this meant that the new number system could be explained without the small amount of people who really knew how to use the Hindu-Arabic system having to travel around teaching everyone they saw.

7. Concluding Summary The number Zero and the Hindu-Arabic system had been used for hundreds of years. When people tried to introduce it to Europe the Europeans were afraid of being cheated. Years passed and slowly the new system spread. Now it is used everywhere.

8. Bibliography • I got my information from: • http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/numbers/interest/zero.htm • http://theosophical.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/is-zero-a-number/ • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Hindu-Arabic_numeral_system#Adoption_in_Europe • I got my images from: • https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Logo_TVE-1.svg • http://myblogmyviews-gowthami.blogspot.com/2011/08/123-from-idlebrain.html • https://www.school-portal.co.uk/GroupHomepage.asp?GroupID=492580 • http://jojofeelings.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/round-4/ • http://www.allposters.co.uk/-sp/Number-5-Posters_i5030449_.htm • www.hr-shield.com/2012/07/06/reason-6-why-hr-shield-rocks/http:// • http://gannett-hscp.blogspot.com/2012/02/7-habits-of-highly-effective-technical.html • http://frockboutique.blogspot.com/2011/07/8-years-and-counting-frock-celebrates.html • http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:9_tag.png • http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abacus_2.jpg • http://www.yourchildlearns.com/europe_map.htm • http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/features/arts/offthepage/blog/2008/08/whats_on_your_book_shelf.html • http://www.123rf.com/photo_13270290_beautiful-multi-colored-number-nine-with-the-butterflys-on-a-white-background.html