Comment by vee-kay
11 hours ago
Fun fact: zero and numerals were not invented by the Arabs. The Arabs learnt the concept & use of mathematical zero, numerals, decimal system, mathematical calculations, etc. from the ancient Hindus/Indians. And from the Arabs, the Europeans learnt it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu-Arabic_numeral_system
Persian scholar Al Khwarizmi translated and used the Hindu/Indian numerals (including concept of mathematical zero) and "Sulba Sutras" (Hindu/Indian methods of mathematical problem solving) into the text Al-Jabr, which the Europeans translated as "Algebra" (yup, that branch of mathematics that all schoolkids worldwide learn from kindergarten).
Yeah I believe modern trigonometry and the terms sine and cos also trace their origins to Sanskrit through Arabic. It's a shame that ancient/medieval India contributed so much to science and math but hasn't been able to innovate in centuries past :(
The word used to mean "empty" (and not algebraic zero) in both Arabic and Sanskrit.
https://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/MathEd/index.php/2022/08/25/the...
Origin trivia: Originating from the Sanskrit word for zero शून्य (śuṇya), via the Arabic word صفر (ṣifr), the word "cipher" spread to Europe as part of the Arabic numeral system during the Middle Ages.
https://www.etymonline.com/word/cipher
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cipher#Etymology
Fun fact: The Sanskrit word for mathematical zero and emptiness/voidness is the same: Shunya (शून्य). In fact, mathematicians are of the opinion that ancient Indians were among the first to understand the concept of mathematical zero because they understood the meaning of empty/void (Shunyata). Dhyana (meditation by focusing on voidness/stillness, away from random intrusive thoughts) is an aspect of Yoga (world's oldest active fitness discipline).
Another fun fact: The world's oldest recorded cipher (as an example of cryptography/ encryption) is the ancient Indian epic Ramayana by Maharshi Valmiki. It has 24000 verses (Sanskrit shlokas), and the first syllable (akshara) of each 1000th verse/shloka forms a series of 24 syllables that form the sacred Sri Gayatri Mantra.
Proofs of oldest records mathematical zero being of Indian origin, are available..
https://thebetterindia.com/270912/chaturbhuj-temple-in-gwali...
World's oldest known evidence of Mathematical Zero and numerals - ancient inscription on wall of Chaturbhuj temple in Gwalior, India.
https://www.glam.ox.ac.uk/article/carbon-dating-finds-bakhsh...
Bakhshali manuscript (stored in Oxford) from ancient India/Bharat - is the world's oldest text having Mathematical Zero and equations.