Zero

Zero has many manifestations. From its original used in accounting arithmetic, zero has appeared in a variety of contexts. It appears in the context of philosophy, religion, human well-being apart from arithmetic, algebra and even in electronics. From the earliest ideas of what existed before the universe was created, to the use of the idea of removal of letters in merging words and the analysis of the algebra of zero, equilibrium of forces and balancing electronic bridges, humans have been fascinated by this strange entity that represents a null entity or nothingness. Indians are often credited with bringing the importance of zero to the attention of the world. However India was not the first to identify the arithmetical zero. The credit for this should go to the Babylonians who used it extensively in their accounting system based on hexadecimal system. But Indians are credited as being the first ones to appreciate its subtleties and importance in philosophy religion and mathematics. While Indians fell in love with zero the moment they laid their eyes on it, the Europeans (Greeks and Romans) hated it with equal vigour. 

In the present talk we will look at the discovery (or invention) of zero, its impact on human psyche and investigate its cultural sensitivity. The story of zero provides important insights into the cultural context to scientific investigation.