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Śūnya — Vedic mathematical tradition

~600 BC · Transmission: Global
MathematicsSystemDiscoveryIndian

Indian mathematical traditions develop śūnya (emptiness) as a numerical entity. Brahmagupta (628 AD) formalizes the arithmetic rules of zero in the Brāhmasphuṭasiddhānta. Without this concept, modern positional arithmetic and computation do not exist.

InstitutionVedic / Jain mathematical schools
Historical regionIndian subcontinent
Primary sourceBrahmagupta — Brāhmasphuṭasiddhānta (628 AD), chapters XVIII and XII
Secondary sourceKaplan, R. — The Nothing That Is: A Natural History of Zero (1999, Oxford UP)
Original languageSanskrit
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Related links
Work Q1290001MacTutor — biography Brahmagupta