shape of "0"

[mab]

Hi,

Who designed the shape of "0" for zero.

mab.

[5614]

who designed the shapes for all numbers and letters?

 

probably a variation on the latin version of it.

[john5746]

Probably earlier than that. I think it came originally thru India. I'm sure it didn't look the same, but was probably similar.

[5614]

the circle is quite a basic shape which has been around for hundreds of years, it was hardly an original idea to come up with it to represent a number.

chosing the number zero... not sure why.

[YT2095]

I`m fairly sure our modern number shapes we`re originaly arabic, in fact I have some arabic numbers here, and there`s quite a marked similarity.

[Aeschylus]

Like all our other numerals, it comes from India via the Arabs.

[YT2095]

Like all our other numerals, it comes from India via the Arabs.

well according to my data here, if by indian you mean Hindu, then it`s nothing like Arabic? with the exception of #2 and 3 and 0 is the same.

 

15`th century Arabic is almost identical though, and could easily be read by anyone that can read messy handwriting

although the number 8 looks almost identical to &.

 

interestingly enough though, in Baylonian, Egyption, Greek, Roman and Ancient chinese, there doesn`t seem to any glyph for Zero?

 

even the Mayans had a Zero, it looks like () on its side.

[Dave]

I`m fairly sure our modern number shapes we`re originaly arabic, in fact I have some arabic numbers here, and there`s quite a marked similarity.

 

The decimal number system was invented by Arabic mathematicians, which probably explains this.

[Aeschylus]

But the Arabs got their numerals originally from India.

[YT2095]

since it`s widely accepted that the oldest Earth civilisation was Mesopotamia (arabic) I`de be more inclined to agree with Dave on this one.

[Sayonara]

I can check all this when I get home, thanks to the magic of books.

[YT2095]

hehehehe, I`m refering to books here too, the net`s good, but books still have the edge in my opinion

[Aeschylus]

since it`s widely accepted that the oldest Earth civilisation was Mesopotamia (arabic) I`de be more inclined to agree with Dave on this one.

 

The Sumerians were not Arabic (the descendnats of the sumerians almost certainly are though), infact they used a (broadly speaking base-60 number system). The Arabs rose as a force thousands of years later in the 7th century AD. Arabian traders imporetd the numerals of the Inidans into Arabian civilisation, this syatem was further developed by the Arabs with such inovations as decimal fractions.

[YT2095]

Hmmm.. it`s hard to know what to beleive here.

 

according to my data, Hindu is listed as before Arabic, and Mayan before that etc... and Babylonian being the 1`st.

 

the Mayans came before Hindu (india) though, and they have a type of Zero, and were the 1`st ones in history to have done so, in fact I rather like their glyphs, they`re quite logical (more so than todays system) it`s a base 5 (like our fingers).

 

Fascinating subject though

[Aeschylus]

What we call 'Arabic numerals' are actually callled 'Indian numerals', by the Arabs.

[YT2095]

I never knew that! thnx

[mab]

I am curious about the shape of “0” because it seemed to have logic behind the shape. What I want to say is that zero is it self nothing but when written with some other number it can bring change .It acts as catalyst.

It has circular shape, every point has equal distance from center. There is symmetry and total equality between every point of its shape.

I read somewhere that according to law of physics “ when energy of every thing will become equal, it would end (nothing)”.

Same thing I feel about “0”(Don’t laugh upon my idea). Thanks

[MolecularMan14]

well its empty, and signifies its content...nothing at all.

[Dave]

I guess the reasoning is somewhat similar to why people use phi ([math]\phi[/math]) to designate the empty set.

[Aeschylus]

I guess the reasoning is somewhat similar to why people use phi ([math]\phi[/math']) to designate the empty set.

 

You know I never relaized that it was phi as capital phi is usually printed like this: [math]\Phi[/math].

[Dapthar]

I don't think [math]\emptyset[/math] or [math]\varnothing[/math] are supposed to be a [math]\Phi[/math], or a [math]\phi[/math], simply a separate symbol.

[YT2095]

actualy second across if taken on its side so the line is like this - it`s like the greek number for 9

 

 

some of them look a bit like the letter Theta as well.

[Aeschylus]

I don't think [math]\emptyset[/math] or [math]\varnothing[/math] are supposed to be a [math]\Phi[/math], or a [math]\phi[/math'], simply a separate symbol.

 

The empty Set symbol is a capital letter phi, I looked it up.

[Dave]

Fair enough, but I've seen [math]\phi[/math] used a lot, especially on my courses.

[Aeschylus]

Fair enough, but I've seen [math]\phi[/math'] used a lot, especially on my courses.

 

Then that may be the case, I don't know beacuse I haven't done alot of the really pure maths.