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> The stone bore a Khmer epigraphic inscription that included the date for the Khmer year 605, reckoned within the Hindu Saka system, a historical calendar base

> The stone bore a Khmer epigraphic inscription that included the date for the Khmer year 605, reckoned within the Hindu Saka system, a historical calendar based on the rule of the Indian emperor Shalivahana. Seems there is a pretty good chance that the origin of zero is still Indian and was adopted by the Khmer just as they adopted the Indian calendar.

drieddust 4y ago
Isha Upnishad[0] was written in 1st half of 1st millennium BCE as per the conservative estimates. Its Shanti Mantra(wishing peace to all living beings) of says: ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पूर्णमुदच्यते । पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥ Om Puurnnam-Adah Puurnnam-Idam Puurnnaat-Puurnnam-Udacyate | Puurnnasya Puurnnam-Aadaaya Puurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate || Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih || Rough Translation: That (god) is complete(puurnnam), this living being is complete. From completeness emerges completeness. When this completeness (living beings) emerges from that completeness (god), only completeness remains. This verse describes God. But it can also be describing concept of zero and infinity. Buddhist philosophy emerging in 500 BCE is based in shoonyata[1] (nothingness) so concept of zero was definitely known for a long time. As far as mathematical applications are concerned, we can't say for sure as a lot of knowledge was lost to invasions which specifically targeted universities like Nalanda[2]. Hindus imagined time scales of microseconds to trillions of years which in IMHO difficult to imagine without zero based mathematics[3]. Having said that there are a large number of manuscripts in the hands of small groups and families are yet to be discovered so these dates. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isha_Upanishad https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isha_Upanishad [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81 [2] https://www.myindiamyglory.com/2017/09/11/nalanda-9-million-books-burnt/ https://www.myindiamyglory.com/2017/09/11/nalanda-9-million-... [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_units_of_time https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_units_of_time
- KingOfCoders 4y ago
  The idea of zero is that it's used in a positional numeric system, not just as a symbol for nothingness, like in 1305 + 0935 ---- 2240 or in calculations ((5-5)+2)*0 = (0+2)*0 = 2*0 = 0
  - drieddust 4y ago
    Thanks, but that's such a narrow definition of the concept. Shukla Yajurveda[0] conservatively estimated to be written in 1200- 800 BCE period in 17.2.20 constructs powers of 10 upto a billion by names by adding shunya successively to 10. [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yajurveda https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yajurveda
    - KingOfCoders 4y ago
      This is the concept of zero. The title said "The Elusive Origin of Zero". Widening the definition to something else doesn't expand understanding but creates confusion.
- braindead_in 4y ago
  As Swami Sarvapriyananda is fond of saying, this verse encapsulates the essence of Advaita Vedanta. This verse is in fact his favourite. He has given hours and hours of talks on it. There is a lot packed into it.
xhevahir 4y ago
Maybe. It would be odd, though, not to find any Indian examples of zero from earlier than ~200 years after the oldest Khmer one if the invention came from India. That area first came under Indian influence centuries before these dates. Some parts of the country, Chenla, were dependent on states in Java and Srivijaya (the one mentioned in the article) later on. The Indian cultural sphere as a whole covered a huge area and the Subcontinent itself certainly did not have a monopoly on culture there.

drieddust 4y ago

Isha Upnishad[0] was written in 1st half of 1st millennium BCE as per the conservative estimates. Its Shanti Mantra(wishing peace to all living beings) of says: ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पूर्णमुदच्यते । पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥ Om Puurnnam-Adah Puurnnam-Idam Puurnnaat-Puurnnam-Udacyate | Puurnnasya Puurnnam-Aadaaya Puurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate || Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih || Rough Translation: That (god) is complete(puurnnam), this living being is complete. From completeness emerges completeness. When this completeness (living beings) emerges from that completeness (god), only completeness remains. This verse describes God. But it can also be describing concept of zero and infinity. Buddhist philosophy emerging in 500 BCE is based in shoonyata[1] (nothingness) so concept of zero was definitely known for a long time. As far as mathematical applications are concerned, we can't say for sure as a lot of knowledge was lost to invasions which specifically targeted universities like Nalanda[2]. Hindus imagined time scales of microseconds to trillions of years which in IMHO difficult to imagine without zero based mathematics[3]. Having said that there are a large number of manuscripts in the hands of small groups and families are yet to be discovered so these dates. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isha_Upanishad https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isha_Upanishad [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81 [2] https://www.myindiamyglory.com/2017/09/11/nalanda-9-million-books-burnt/ https://www.myindiamyglory.com/2017/09/11/nalanda-9-million-... [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_units_of_time https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_units_of_time

KingOfCoders 4y ago
The idea of zero is that it's used in a positional numeric system, not just as a symbol for nothingness, like in 1305 + 0935 ---- 2240 or in calculations ((5-5)+2)*0 = (0+2)*0 = 2*0 = 0
- drieddust 4y ago
  Thanks, but that's such a narrow definition of the concept. Shukla Yajurveda[0] conservatively estimated to be written in 1200- 800 BCE period in 17.2.20 constructs powers of 10 upto a billion by names by adding shunya successively to 10. [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yajurveda https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yajurveda
  - KingOfCoders 4y ago
    This is the concept of zero. The title said "The Elusive Origin of Zero". Widening the definition to something else doesn't expand understanding but creates confusion.
braindead_in 4y ago
As Swami Sarvapriyananda is fond of saying, this verse encapsulates the essence of Advaita Vedanta. This verse is in fact his favourite. He has given hours and hours of talks on it. There is a lot packed into it.

xhevahir 4y ago

Maybe. It would be odd, though, not to find any Indian examples of zero from earlier than ~200 years after the oldest Khmer one if the invention came from India. That area first came under Indian influence centuries before these dates. Some parts of the country, Chenla, were dependent on states in Java and Srivijaya (the one mentioned in the article) later on. The Indian cultural sphere as a whole covered a huge area and the Subcontinent itself certainly did not have a monopoly on culture there.