The+Story+of+Zero

YoungKyu Kim == = Introduction: = 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9... These numbers are very common to people in their everyday lives. Although they a re called the Arabic numbers, they were discovered in India in about 500 B.C. However, there was one num ber that was discovered relatively late which revolutionized the way people think and use numbers. It was the number **__zero__**. Today, it is very easy for us to understand the concept of zero. However, we don't realize the importance and the affect that the number zero brings to our world of numbers.

= **Invention of Zero:** = The number zero was well awared by the ancient Greeks. They knew that nothing was nothing. However, the problem was that they never knew how to use the concept of zero in a mathematical term. They had difficulties in understanding how "nothing" can be "something". So no one was able to use the number zero. Then the Indians were able to use zero in a mathematical form thanks to a mathematician named Aryabhata. He first introduced the number zero and actually gave the number zero its rightful place in the Hindu-Arabic system that we know today. But, there weren't a lot of rules about zero until Brahmagupta wrote in his works that governs how zero is to be used.

= Use of Zero: = With the discovery of zero, the Indians were able to express numbers that were infinitely large, and infinitely small.

0 is just nothing. However, when combined with 1, it gives a significant difference. 10 100 1000 10000 100000 1000000 10000000 100000000 1000000000 ... The quantity that can be expressed using the number zero is infinitely big. By only adding one zero to a number, the quantity difference becomes huge. Controversially, zero can express numbers that are infinitely small using a decimal point. 0.1 0.01 0.001 0.0001 0.00001 0.000001 0.0000001 0.00000001 0.000000001 0.0000000001 0.00000000001 ... = Other Uses of Zero: =

Binary Codes:
The binary code is a mathematical language spoken by computers. Computers only use 1 and 0 to work a specific function and listen to orders. For example, 1010101110 means to do something in terms of "computer language".

The diagram on the right shows the alphabets of the binary code. As you can see, they are represented as only 1's and 0's.

Googol:


Googol is a very large number, with a one that is followed by 100 numbers.

Here is a visual representation: 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 With commas: 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 As you can see, there are a lot of zeros in these numbers. Googol can also be used in different forms.

= Videos About Zero: = media type="youtube" key="XIo_InwDgcw" height="344" width="425"

media type="custom" key="5177689"

References:

BCE, the middle of the 2nd millennium, and the Babylonian mathematics. "0 (number) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2010. .

"Binary Codes - The Mathematical Language Spoken By Computers." //The Problem Site: Problem Solving and Educational Games//. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2010. .

"Googol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2010. .

"The Alphabet In Binary Code." //TekMom's Resources for Students and Teachers//. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2010. .

"The Number Zero: The History of Formulating Nothing." //Math//. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2010. .

"Who Invented the Number Zero?: Math Problems & History | eHow.com." //eHow | How To Do Just About Everything! | How To Videos & Articles//. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2010. .

" YouTube - Indian Hindu Invention Of The Modern Number System ." //YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.//. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2010. . "Google 이미지 검색결과: http://www.house2homeideas.com/images3/VWNUM0.jpg." //Google 이미지//. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2010. .