What is the origin of zero? How did we indicate nothingness before zero?
489205
0 is the cardinal of the empty set. Thats the mathematic rigurous definition. Before that, zero was defined conceptualy, as "no object", "nothing", "none", in order to define the quantity/measure of "nothing".
625700
if your talking about the origin of the numbers we use:\n\nthey are the Arabic Numerals that were used way back during the time of early civilizations and trade routes.\n\nthorough the trade routes, their numbers spread, and were widely used\n\nthey also used the zero, which was created by either the romans or the Greeks\n\nWe dont have any idea as to who invented them, though. Our best idea is scholars or educators.
625847
I believe that it was proven that the meso american societies of the aztecs, incas, or mayans used a numerical system with a  zero. You may want to check wikipedia
50645
if we speak of numbers and not of limits, the answer is no without exceptions: 0 is defined in group theory as the null element, so it is BY DEFINITION the element which multiplied by any other gives itself: always 0.\nInstead, what we usually assume as always true, but is not true in some finite algebraic models, is that if A*B=0 then either A=0 or B=0. This is not always true in all algebraic models (for exemple in modular algebra).
145941
That's an interesting question. But the answer may seem a bit weird at first. I suggest you read the answer carefully.\n\nThe world has invented the number system. \nIn olden days, the arabians and egyptians used numbers from 1 to 9. But the theory of negative numbers came only after a brilliant Indian Mathematician ARYABHATTA devised the number zero as the king of all numbers. Zero is undoutedly the most important and the backbone of maths and the number system.\nThe number system was extended on both sides of zero around the 1800s to 1900s to form nearly more than 100 numbers on each side. With time, the number system has advanced and now we know that its limitless.\nEverything that is made around us has many helping hands. Always remember that my friend. Keeping asking such provoking questions. They will shape you into a good character.
692848
bcoz 0 is the additive identity and any number multipled by 0 gives 0.So operations using 0 are simpler and life becomes much more easier.
230430
The square root of -1 has no relation to zero.  It requires an imaginary number.  Division by zero is, unfortunately for our number system, impossible.  You cannot cut something into zero pieces, and in fact the very statement makes no sense.
987921
The number zero came from India
519094
Yes, zero is a number with a special property x + zero = x.\n\nIn most numeral systems, there is no zero symbol.\n\n0 is a digit who's name is zero.\n\n0 is not 'nothing'.  It is a number that can represent the cardanality of an empty set.\n\nThe greek capitol letter Phi (a circle with an up down line through it) is used to represent the 'empty set' or the set with nothing in it.
386709
The zero is a powerful persuasive number that recruits all other numbersinto its evil zero army.  Not even the mighty Infinity can salvage ones who have been converted to the zero side, but numbers converted to infinity can turn into zeros.  Do not underestimate the power of the number zero-or it will turn you into one, too.
434038
IN THE BEGINNIG IF THERE WAS ONE>>>>\n\nIn the Beginning, there was no Beginning because at the time, there was no Time. However, our minds cannot grasp a condition of no-time, so let us pretend that there was a Beginning and begin again: \n\nIn the Beginning, there was THAT WHICH WAS, IS, and ALWAYS WILL BE -- or “IT”, for short.\n\nNow IT was and is both NOTHING and EVERYTHING at the same time. IT was NOTHING because in the Beginning, there were no things--only IT. However, IT was also simultaneously EVERYTHING because IT could be, would be, and always is every thing and all things that can ever exist. IT is infinite CREATIVE POWER with the potential to create anything, to BE anything. But at the beginning, as yet no-thing was created and there was only IT.\n\nAnd because there is only IT, anything that IT should create, IT would have to create it out of ITself. There was-is nothing else to create anything out of. There is not and cannot be that which is not IT. There is only the ONE.\n\nIT is far, far beyond human comprehension and anything we humans say about IT is less than a grain of sand on the Sahara. To even talk about IT, we have to use a comparison, an analogy, of something already within our experience=knowledge. Let’s start with a desert. \nImagine an infinite desert, an infinite plane of pure sand, with absolutely nothing else existing. Our desert is absolutely level without the least depression or the smallest mound. IT is exactly the same everywhere; there is absolutely no distinction, no differentiation, no distinguishing mark, and no landmarks. Even the grains of sand are identical. There is only IT. Infinite in all directions, IT has no limit, no edge--and therefore no center. Or everywhere is the center, depending on how you want to look at it. \n\nNotice that you have absolutely no way of knowing where you are on this plane. There is absolutely no reference point, no center, no edge, no distinctive feature, no landmark to distinguish any point from any other point. There is no relation or relationship—no Relativity--to anything else because there is no-thing else. Without Relativity, you can have no Identity. (The concepts of Relativity and Identity are explained in subsequent chapters.)\n\nIt makes no difference where you are on this plane—there are no differences, remember--because everywhere you are, IT is exactly the same. And no matter how you move or where you go, you are always exactly at the center of an infinity of sameness. Thus, there isn’t any place different to go—everything is the same. Nor can you go anywhere because no matter how you move you are always at the center of an infinity of NOTHING. Without Relativity to some point, to some distinction or landmark, you couldn´t even tell if you are moving or not. Therefore, there is no motion. \n\nPicture all this before you continue.\n\nNow let’s upgrade our analogy to three dimensions. The word and concept that we humans have that most closely corresponds to IT is “ENERGY”. IT is ENERGY with the characteristics of CONSCIOUSNESS, INTELLIGENCE, WILL and CAUSE=CREATOR. \n\nThe highest form of physical energy that we humans can perceive is light. Let’s use light for our analogy and move from two to three dimensions. So now imagine IT as light, as a glowing white fog. Imagine this lighted fog as infinite in all directions with no end, no edge and therefore no center--or everywhere is the center, depending on how you want to look at it. \n\nImagine every part of our fog=IT as exactly the same; there is no variation, no thinning, no concentration, and no differentiation of any kind. There is no distinction, no distinguishing mark, no things, no objects, no waves. There is no gravity or any other force by which to know an orientation or a direction. There is no up-down, left-right, in-out, above-below, north-south, etc.\n\nOur Light-Energy is CONSCIOUSNESS: Consciousness is the awareness, the experience of, existence.
1073227
Zero is such a complicated number.   If you look at the way numbers are sequenced -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3 etc. it would appear to be even.  There is a problem, however.  Zero came from the Arabic Hindu system and was considered a placeholder.\n\nZero is used as a place holder.  Numbering systems start with #1 and progress to 9.  1 starts over in the tens position and is followed by the placeholder 0 so we know one is in the tens position and not the single unit position.  The same is so for 20 and 30 and so on and so forth.  Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, so on and so forth.\n\nNow back to the numbering sequence -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3.  Zero is a placeholder and is neither odd or even.  It is a null value.  You have heard of zip, zilch, nada?  That is zero.\n\nZero was brought to the West by a mathematician named  Fibonacci some time in the 1200s.  It made numbers a lot easier to write.  Most numbers were written with a space where a zero would go today.  Made for lots of problems.  The numbers could only be understood in the context of the writing and could never be used by themselves.   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2 21 22 23 etc.  These are writen in sequence so you know the 2nd 1 is really a ten.  But standing alone, it still looks like 1.\n\nThe computer age really stirred the pot.  Programing in the binary system put 0 before 1.   Auuuuuuuuuugh! as Charlie Brown would say.  The computer needed continuity in the old on/off programing in binary language.  When 0 followed 1 the computer wouldn't compute.\n \nWhen people count, it is assumed that zero (or nothing) comes first before we have something (1).  But we couldn't use it as a placeholder, because one is a single unit.  There is nothing to hold a place for.  10 is another situation.  Zero is holding an empty unit spot.\n\nYou can have the shovel now, I think I've dug a deep enough hole. (0)  Chuckle.
1125387
The other historical answers here are very good, but I would like to add a small footnote...\n\nThe Hindu numerals, and hence the concept of zero, were introduced to medieval Europe early in the 13th century by Leonardo Fibonacci. Within a remarkably short time this numbering system became the foundation of western science, engineering, finance, and commerce. As Europeans began to conquer the world (generally not a beneficial thing), they spread western math, including the concept of zero, around the world (generally a beneficial thing).\n\nASIDE TO robert: a=b so a-b = 0. Therefore your fifth step is invalid, as it requires dividing by zero, which is a major no-no.
332996
Zero - is it positive or negative?
503823
Before there was any creation... there was Deity and there was "Void and Darkness on the deep"... and on the first day Deity created light and seperated the light from the darkness and the light he called day the the darkness night... and that was the end of the first day..."""\n\nWhat this all measn is that Deity (Deity is what finite man has named as God) existed before any creation was begun... Deity was without beginning and without end...in a dark void... no energy, nothing... no light... nothing... no space... nothing... on planets...nothing ... only VOID... emptiness and darkness... and Deity was the...UNCAUSED CAUSE... torpod, quiecient, omni-present; omni-potential; omni-niescnet.  The prefix omni = all and the word pressent = everywhere; the word potential = withouth limits able to do all things; and the word nicecent = knowing everything.  Remember there is no Time/Space as yet!\n\nGod was "quiscent"... meaning a sort of potential dormancy  a "happening waiting to happen..." and then he ACTED... and upon that one action potential became reality... and it was as if God "took his first breath"... and with that exhale... God's essence or particles filled the darkness and void... and that first breath was "energy" and the first aspect of creation was energy and it was created....and with that first breat of exhalation the creation of (light) energy became an explosion of "light" or energy...which we call the Big Bang... and Deity seperated the light... or energy into "day" = positive energy and "night" = negative energy... and that was the end of the first day.  And upon that action The Uncaused Cause became ACTIVE and EXISTENTIAL = THE FIRST SOURCE AND CENTER of all essence of CREATION.  What Quantum physicists call today... "The God Particle" of creation.\n\nDeity needed essence in order to create... essence that was to become matter... energy, positive and negative as the basis of all energy and matter... Deity went from being dormant to active and his essence fill the darkness and void into energy = (light) both Positive = (day) and Negetive = night) and for that God had matter or His essence to make material reality or Creation of the Universes... = "The God Particle."  \n\nYes and with that action on the first day Deity went from the UNCAUSED CAUSE to the FIRST SOURCE AND CENTER... and recognized hiself from inactive potential to active actual and became the I AM = self-awareness, from existential to experiential. And with the actualization of the I AM = GOD ...and the beginning of Creation, was established the Son of God... the CO-CREATOR, of THE ESSENCE OF GOD... the I AM... and the union of the CO-CREATOR within the I AM begot the union of the two by the mindal molding together by a DIVINE MINDAL SPIRIT that was shared  and made the two a union of one... and that binding... the activation of the DIVINE HOLY SPIRIT was the force that was the seat of all spiritual and mindal reality in the activity in creation of spiritual essence and the third essence of God the I AM, the First Source and Center, the UNCAUSED CAUSE.\nSo from the very beginning they all were contained within the UNCAUSED CAUSE... and the DIVINITY of ALL GOD'S attributes combined into ONE GOD ...the unification. \n\nSo Deity did exist from all time... as the UNCAUSED CAUSE... before there was a man who could with his finite and limited mind acknowledge him and give him recognition, and with the personalization of the Deity by man the term God always acknowledged and put into existence... We are the finite ones... NOT... GOD, THE CO-CREATOR SON, or THE DIVINE HOLY SPIRIT that is shared by the two to make three... as the DIVINE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE source of all Divinity... mindal attributes of spirit, that spirit that we are endowed with at our conception by God and fuse with our physical bodies that create our eternal souls... f
1166506
Bell, The Development of Mathematics, suggests that zero was independently developed by the Hindus, Babylonians and Maya. The best source known of is Morris Kline, Mathematical Thought from Ancient to Modern Times (Oxford, 1972; paperback). He reports that zero symbols are found in Alexandrian Greek documents.
1138037
Though 'poojyam' (Samskrüt term) was used in India to denote\nthe zero, as early as 1700 B.C. (which was promptly picked-up by the mathematicians of Babylonia), it was only Bháskara, a Hindu mathematician also of India, who gave its present 'o' form - signifying an empty hole ! - in the 7th century A.D. !