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The first use of a zero as a number and not merely as a placeholder in a numeral system is attributed to the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in about 140 AD. It is quite possible that Ptolemy copied a notation used by Hipparchus (140 BC), but little of Hipparchus' work survives.

In spite of its utility in mathematical calculations, the Greeks were not certain of the concept of zero as a legitimate number. The concept was fully developed in India. The Indian mathematician Brahmagupta, in 628 AD, presented a complete set of algebraic rules for the elementary operations of arithmetic, including zero and negative numbers.

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14y ago

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