Zero, as a concept and a symbol, emerged gradually, starting with its use as a placeholder.
Early Uses of Zero
The earliest recorded use of zero dates back approximately 5,000 years to ancient Mesopotamia. According to reference materials, zero originated there.
- Zero wasn't initially conceived as a number representing nothing.
- Instead, it was used to represent the absence of a digit in a string of numbers. (as stated by one of the references)
Zero as a Placeholder
The crucial first step was using zero as a placeholder.
- Imagine a number system where you only have symbols for 1, 10, and 100.
- Writing "1 1" could mean "11" or "101" or even "110," creating ambiguity.
- A symbol for zero allowed scribes to clearly differentiate between these values by writing "1 0 1" for "101".
From Placeholder to Number
The evolution of zero from a simple placeholder to a number representing "nothing" was a significant intellectual leap. This happened later in different cultures, including:
- India
- The Mayan civilization
These cultures began to treat zero as a number with its own properties, enabling the development of more sophisticated mathematical systems.
