India revolutionized math by inventing zero
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Manjul Bhargava, an Indo-Canadian-American mathematician, explained that ancient India formalized the concept of zero, a turning point in scientific history.
Bhargava discussed this development at the opening of an exhibition detailing India’s contributions to mathematics at the Swami Vivekananda Indian Cultural Centre in Paris.
While the Babylonians used a symbol to indicate empty space around 300 BCE and the Mayans developed a symbol for zero in their calendar system centuries later, neither treated zero as a number in its own right.
In 628 CE, Brahmagupta, an Indian mathematician and astronomer, formally defined zero as a number, the result of subtracting a number from itself, calling it śūnya, Sanskrit for “void.” Bhargava noted that conceiving of “void” as a number was not intuitive, but it laid the foundation for modern arithmetic, including positive and negative numbers. This rounded form of zero spread through the work of Arab mathematicians like al-Khwārizmī in the 8th century and eventually reached Europe in the Middle Ages.
The exhibition, titled “From Shunya to Ananta: From Zero to Infinity,” traces over two millennia of Indian mathematical thought, using rare palm-leaf manuscripts and interactive displays. It also demonstrates connections between mathematics and Indian traditions like music, dance, and poetry, showing how mathematical principles underlie artistic expression. The exhibition runs until September 24, 2026.
