The History of Zero - 1561 Words

â€Å"From placeholder to the driver of calculus, zero has crossed the greatest minds and most diverse borders since it was born many centuries ago. Today, zero is perhaps the most pervasive global symbol known. In the story of zero, something can be made out of nothing† (Downey 1, The history of zero). Zero came from the Latin word zehirum, which comes from the Arbid sife translated from the Hindu sunya meaning empty. The first time zero was used in English language was in 1598. One of the many debates by mathematicians, even in our perspectives classroom is if zero was invented or discovered. â€Å"Zero’s path through time and thought has been as full of intrigue, disguise and mistaken identity as were the career of the traveller who first brought it to the west† (Kaplan, The Nothing That Is: A Natural History of Zero). Other debates by mathematicians are if zero is a placeholder or if it is a real number. The way our world functions today is based on understan ding and working with zero. Without zero there would be no calculus, accounting or computers. We live in a world that uses these items every single minute of every day. â€Å" The story of zero is the story of an idea that has aroused the imagination of great minds across the globe† (Downey 1, The history of zero). Understanding zero and what it is today, we have to look back at the history of zeros origins and how it traveled through time. In ancient Egyptian mathematics, it was used to measure time, counting money, calculatingShow MoreRelatedThe History of Zero: Indian and Mayan Cultures726 Words   |  3 PagesZero is usually recognized today as being originated in two geographically separated cultures: the Maya and Indian. If zero was a place-holder symbol, then such a zero was present in the Babylonian positional number system before the first recorded occurrence of the Indian zero. If zero was represented by an empty space within a well-defined positional number system, such a zero was present in Chinese mathematics a few centuries before the beginning of the Common Era. The absence of a symbol forRead MoreThe Columbian Exchange Statistics782 Words   |  4 PagesIreland in 1491: zero Tomatoes in all of Italy in 1491: zero Peppers in all of Spain in 1491: zero Strawberries in all of England in 1491: zero Cocoa beans in all of Switzerland in 1491: zero Peanuts in all of West Africa in 1491: zero Cassava roots in all of the Congo in 1491: zero Ears of corn in all of Europe in 1491: zero Horses on the Great Plains of North America in 1491: zero Coffee plants in South America in 1491: zero Cane sugar plants in the Caribbean in 1491: zero Fields of bluegrassRead More Holes Essay504 Words   |  3 Pages Stanley Yelnats has a history of being in the wrong place and the wrong time. He was even wrongly accused of stealing a pair of old sneakers that was owned by a baseball player. He was sent to a juvenile correction center, Camp Green Lake. On Camp Green Lake there is nothing green and no lake, there are also no metal bars, electric fences, and no guard towers, all there is are a few cabins and tents in the middle of nowhere. If the campers tried to run they would be â€Å"buzzard food†. Each day everyRead MoreThe Occupation And Abuse Of National And Female Bodies1473 Words   |  6 PagesFirdaus engages with the separation of these facets throughout Woman at Point Zero. She explains how prostitution is an exchange where she offers up her â€Å"dead body† and keeps her â€Å"heart and soul† (Sadaawi â€Å"Point Zero† 116). However these is a split between body and soul that is irredeemable. She believes through love she could unite her body and soul and claims that love will help her â€Å"to feel whole† (Sadaawi â€Å"Point Zero† 116). However due to the exploitative quality in sex between a man and a womanRead MoreAgrument on Zero-Tolerance Policy1056 Words   |  5 PagesZero Tolerance for College Students Gladwell stated in, â€Å"No Mercy† (2006), â€Å"this is the age of zero tolerance.† Zero tolerance policies, which are regulations for specific issues such as weapons, drugs, cheating and alcohol, are adopted by many schools and workplaces today. According to a government study, more than three quarters of the schools in America use zero policy to restrict students from misconduct. However, statistics show that there is no evidence proving that bad behaviors get deterredRead MoreEssay about We Cannot Have A Successful Society If Zero Is Not Involved1311 Words   |  6 PagesWe Cannot Have A Successful Society If Zero Is Not Involved INTRODUCTION: The number zero may be thought to have very little importance, but it is actually of great value. Zero is the number that precedes 1 and follows –1 so it may represent the value of nothing. Zero is also important in holding a place value. It is a composite integer that is neither odd or even, though that fact can be debated. Zero is involved in many areas of study including modular arithmetic, computer sciences, and physicsRead MoreUses And Accuracy Of Newton s Method1743 Words   |  7 Pagesdiscoveries in both math and science. From gravity to calculus, Newton made many fundamental breakthroughs that have shaped thought for centuries and are still in use today. For this reason, Newton has always been one of the most interesting characters in history for me and thus is why I found such great interest in his theories and being able to explore them further. However, though he had countless monumental breakthroughs, he also had other theories that are not as well known, which i nterested me even moreRead MoreThe Developement of Mathematics Essay1167 Words   |  5 PagesAlthough the history of numbers is rather unknown and unlooked upon compared to the history of other subjects; we should learn of the development of numbers, from the basic number sense that some animals also possess to all the different numbers we have today. After all, it is because of numbers that we have progressed so far in science and it is because of science that we have all the wonderful inventions of today. From the far beginning, before counting, man only had a rudimentary â€Å"number sense†Read MoreGlobalization Will Provide a World Free of War Essay1000 Words   |  4 Pages In the history of civilizations the contest for human interaction has been war. Despite how advanced our world is today with global telecommunications, the ability to travel to space, and nano technology, war is still a part of every day life for a large part of the global population, but in this newly connected global marketplace, peace has or will have even more value than war. Globalization is a connected marketplace of economics, education and travel. It is now just as easy to communicateRead MoreMarketing Strategy of Coke Zero736 Words   |  3 Pagesleading manufacturer, marketer and distributor of non alcoholic beverage. Coca-Cola Zero has been one of the most successful product launches in our history. In 2009, we sold more than 600 million cases globally. As of September 2010, Coca-Cola Zero is available in more than 130 countries. Brand Positioning The soft drinks market is dominated by 3 household Coca Cola, PepsiCo and Dr Pepper Snapple. Coke Zero is successful because it was carried to new category – sugar free coke and be first