why and when was the number zero introduced to mathematics.?

Question

why was zero introduced to maths. i ask because in the real world there is nothing like zero cars.

Answer 1

ZERO was introduced to this world by Indian Mathematician/Philosopher ARYABHATTA(476 – 550)

Aryabhata was the first in the line of brilliant mathematician-astronomers of classical Indian mathematics, whose major work was the Aryabhatiyam and the Aryabhatta-siddhanta. Although his exact place of birth is not documented but he is believed to be from Kashmir. Aryabhatiyam presented a number of innovations in mathematics and astronomy in verse form, which were influential for many centuries. The extreme brevity of the text was elaborated in commentaries by his disciple Bhaskara I (Bhashya, c.600 AD) and by Nilakantha Somayaji in his Aryabhatiya Bhasya, (1465 AD). The number place-value system, first seen in the 3rd century Bakhshali Manuscript was clearly in place in his work [1]. He may have been the first mathematician to use letters of the alphabet to denote unknown quantities. [2]

Aryabhata's system of astronomy was called the audAyaka system (days are reckoned from uday, dawn at lanka, equator). Some of his later writings on astronomy, which apparently proposed a second model (ardha-rAtrikA, midnight), are lost, but can be partly reconstructed from the discussion in Brahmagupta's khanDakhAdyaka. He was perhaps the first to ascribe the motion of the moon to the earth's rotation and the first to develop an elliptical model of the heliocentric planetary system.

Answer 2

Well...

With all do respect to Ranjeet Ramaswamy's answer, I believe that a little clarification is in order. While correct in that Aryabhata[1] was the first recorded person to expound the "modern" system of base 10 notation[2] - the "decimal" system- the concept of "zero"[3] goes back even farther, and is cross-cultural, in that the ancient Myans had a symbol for "zero" as far back as 4th century BC.

But, do you mean the concept of "zero" or the actual letter "zero"?
If you mean the actual concept of zero, then the previous answer should do, but if you mean the actual letter "zero" (0), then a history of our current number system is in order.[4]

But that just covers the "when" of your question; the "why" is more difficult, if not impossible to answer. The reason for this is that we simply don't have a record of it. One theory is that, as humanity's understanding of the universe and how it works expanded, the concept of "nothing"[5] had to be addressed, for paradoxically , "nothing" is actually "something". Another is "railroad time"[6], which is the theory certain things must develop at certain times, i.e. someone will invent the railroad, because it is time for someone to, that the technogical (or social, or economic, etc.) advancement of the day makes it inevitable. But on this one, we can merely speculate...until it's time for someone to invent the time machine[7]...

Hope that helps...

Answer 3

I believe the answer is that India gave us the number or figure zero, I`m not sure when they done it but it has changed a few things since then.....

Answer 4

You are wrong. In the real world you can have zero of something, which implies the absence of something. You cannot have a negative of something phsical like a car.

Answer 5

All the decimal numbers including 0 were invented by Indians and used for doing calculations. They were used since quite long time by hindus. Since arab nations ruled India for quite long time they too started using that. But it became popular to the world through Arabs.

Answer 6

there is on my drive this morning, some b@stard nicked the "1" car last night, now there is"zero car"

Answer 7

I do fully agree with Ranjeet Rangaswamy's answer and i donot have anything more to add.

Answer 8

this question is answered already several times