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![[Story of Numbers] The "Secret Weapon": Zero (0) - [Ganita Prakash] - Hindu Number System](https://cdn.teachoo.com/b8694970-732a-4f0d-b442-f21468de542a/slide53.jpg)
The "Secret Weapon": Zero (0)
Last updated at November 25, 2025 by Teachoo
Class 8 (Ganita Prakash & Old NCERT)
Chapter 3 Class 8 - A Story of Numbers (Ganita Prakash)
- Introduction
- The Mechanism of Counting
- Some Early Number Systems
- Roman Numerals
- Figure it out - Page 60, 61
- Egyptian Number System
- Variations on the Egyptian System and the Notion of Base
- Adding Egyptian Numerals
- Multiplying Egyptian Numerals
- Distributive Law – For Egyptian Numerals
- Abacus that Makes Use of the Decimal System
- Shortcomings of the Egyptian System
- Figure it out - Page 69
- Mesopotamian Number System
- Mayan Number System
- Chinese Number System
-
Hindu Number System
- Evolution of Ideas in Number Representation
- Figure it out - Page 80
Transcript
The "Secret Weapon": Zero (0)The text highlights that the true genius of the Hindu system was Zero. In previous systems (like the Mayan or Babylonian), zero was just a "blank space" or a placeholder to show that a column was empty. In the Indian system, mathematicians like Aryabhata (499) CE) and Brahmagupta (628 CE) treated Zero as a number with its own superpowers: Identity: 5+0=5 (Adding zero changes nothing). Nullifying: 5×0=0 (Multiplying by zero destroys the number). Ring Theory: Brahmagupta showed that numbers form a "ring" (a set closed under addition, subtraction, and multiplication). This laid the foundation for modern Algebra.
