The zero was invented three times in the history of the mathematics. The Babylonians, the Maya, and the Hindus all invented a symbol to represent nothing. However, only the Hindus came to understand the importance of what the zero represented. Today...

Zero is often equated with "nothing," but that is not a good analogy. Zero can be the absence of a quality, but it can also be a starting point, such as 0° on a temperature scale. In a mathematical system, zero is the additive identity. It is a...

The idea of nothingness and emptiness has inspired and puzzled mathematicians, physicists, and even philosophers. What does empty space mean? If the space is empty, does it have any physical meaning or purpose? From the mathematical point of view, the...

Zero is a unique number, belonging to neither the positive nor negative number set. It was the very last number symbol to be developed. Among the ancient Babylonian civilizations of 600 b.c. and earlier, a space was sometimes used to indicate an "empty...

was invented in India, according to indirect evidence, quite early, but the earliest record comes from A.D. 595. Its discovery may have had some connection with speculations about the ‘potent void’ or vice versa (cf. śūnya and...

Naught is good for the eyes, but not for the stomach. (German) Naught is never in danger. (German) Naught is that muse that finds no excuse. (English) Naught needs no hiding-place....

For other senses of this word, see "zero" or 0. 0 (zero) is both a number and the numerical digit used to represent that number in numerals. It plays a central role in mathematics as the additive identity of the integers, real numbers, and many other...