Practice question · Multiple choice
Why is the Indian invention of zero so significant?
Hints
- Think about trying to multiply large numbers with Roman numerals.
- A place-value system needs a symbol for the empty place.
Show the answer
A. Treating nothing as a number underpins place value
Why
Zero as a number, not just an empty column, makes place-value arithmetic possible, which is why you can multiply on paper at all. It reached Europe via the Arab world, which is how Indian digits ended up called "Arabic."
Practise Ancient India: Maurya and Gupta
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