Zero is a digit which describes ‘nothing’ or ‘emptiness’. It is very important in Mathematics. We often hear that Indian mathematicians contributed the concept of Zero. But why is the concept of Zero so crucial?
It is important because it is used as a placeholder in counting. What is the number after ‘9’? It is ‘10’. Do not read it as Ten. Read it as ‘1’ followed by ‘0’ (One-Zero). This way, we do not need a new symbol for Ten. After ‘19’ (One-Nine) we get ‘20’ (Two-Zero). After 99 (Nine-Nine) we get 100 (One-Zero-Zero). Let us write a really huge number on paper. We can immediately write the next number. We can do all this just with the help of 10 symbols (Zero to Nine). This number system is possible because of use of Zero to indicate placeholder.
Compare it to the alternative number system we know – The Roman Numeral System. After ‘III’ (Three) we get ‘IV’ (Four). After VIII (Eight) we get (IX). We need a new symbol for Fifty (L), Hundred (C), Five Hundred (D) and Thousand (M). No one uses it for much larger numbers.
Look at another application. In school we learn addition using method of carry. Multiplication of multiple digit numbers can be done using long multiplication method. Similar method is taught for division also. All these methods rely on the method of counting using zero. Try multiplying 19 by 21. It should not be very difficult. Now try multiplying XIX with XXI. You just cannot do it without first converting the Roman Numbers to Decimal System.
We take the number system for granted. It was not always like that.
ARYABHATA AND BRAMHAGUPTA
Aryabhata (not Aryabhatta) was an ancient Indian Mathematician. There is some controversy over time and place of his birth. Many scholars believe he was born in Patliputra (present day Patna) in the fifth century of the Christian Era.
The most famous book written by Aryabhata was Aryabhatiya. This book is composed of 121 Shlokas divided in four sections. Aryabhatiya just includes the results in abstract form. There is no discussion of how the results were obtained. As an example, table of Sines is described in a single Shloka! It is possible that the book of Aryabhata was intended to be just a book of results for an expert. It was expected that the expert will teach the details to his students. Modern use of decimal system can be traced to Aryabhatiya. In this book he has mentioned the concept that place value of each digit is 10 times that of succeeding digit.
Brahmagupta was a 7th century Mathematician and Astronomer. He lived and worked at Bhillamala (Modern day Bhinmal in Jalore District of Rajasthan) and Ujjain. He wrote a book, Bramha-Sphuta Siddhanta (correctly established Doctrines of Bramha). This book is also written in the form of Shloka. First clear use of Zero as Placeholder in Indian Mathematics is demonstrated by Brahmagupta in this book.
When Sindh came under the rule of Muslims, Bramha-Sphuta Siddhanta was sent to Baghdad. It was translated into Arabic by Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim Al-Fazari (or just Al-Fazari).
Al-Khwarizm described all the steps involved in calculation in step by step fashion. His method of description is now called ‘Algorithm’, which is the Latin name of Al-Khwarizm. Next time you struggle with Mathematics, you know whom to blame!
AL KHWARIZM
Muhammad Bin Musa Al-Khwarizm (or Al-Khwarizm) was born in Khwarizm in 780 CE. Currently Khwarizm lies on the border of three countries; Uzbekistan, Kazakhastan and Turkmenistan. Al-Khwarizm spent most of his life in Baghdad (Iraq) under Caliphate of Mamun Rashid. He was an expert in Mathematics, Astronomy and Geography. He was head of Bayt Al-Hikma, a large public library in Baghdad.
Al-Khwarizm wrote his own book Kitab Al-Jam Wat-Tafriq bi Hisab Al-Hind (Book of Calculations with Indian Numerals). This book was a simplified version of Bramhagupta’s numeral system. He further extended the methods and went on to write another book, Al-Kitab Al-Mukhtasar Fi Hisab Al-Jabr Wal-Muqabla (Compact Book of Calculation using Completion and Balancing). This book was commonly called Al-Jabr, which is source of the name Algebra.
The first book explains the numeral system. In the second book, Al Khwarizm developed his own methods for solving linear and quadratic equation and computing area and volume. Al-Jabr became a standard textbook for Mathematics for a long time. In India, Mathematics was limited to few elite classes. Work by Al Khwarizm popularised the subject to general public. The Indo-Arabic numeral system became common throughout Asia and Europe.
Al-Khwarizm described all the steps involved in calculation in step by step fashion. His method of description is now called ‘Algorithm’, which is the Latin name of Al-Khwarizm.
Next time you struggle with Mathematics, you know whom to blame!
ORANGE SNOW
Sochi is a city in eastern Russia. It is a cold place with beautiful snow-covered mountains. In 2014, it had hosted Winter Olympics.
In the last week of March, people of Sochi were astonished when they woke up. The snow had turned orange!
As per scientists, the cause was an extreme dust storm event in Sahara Desert of Africa. The dust storm blew across seas and the continent boundary to intermingle with snow. When a large amount of sand is mixed with snow, it results in snow with orange hue.
People compared the experience of skiing through orange snow to travelling on Mars!
COCKROACH IN EAR
Katie Hollie of Florida in the United States was also quite astonished. One night she woke up and felt a really strange sensation in the ears. On rushing to hospital doctors informed her that a cockroach had entered her ear and was stuck there.
Doctors administered a drug called Lidocaine to temporarily numb her ears and kill the cockroach. They removed remaining pieces using surgical instruments.
In following days, she still had some soreness in the ears. She went back to her Doctor nine days later. He found that some pieces of cockroach, including the head were still stuck inside!
Katie Hollie is now free from cockroach. She sleeps with her ear plugs.