number 0

[richa sareen]

Zero
Zero is a powerful number which brings great transformational change, sometimes occurring in a profound manner. It has much intensity, so caution is needed wherever it appears to ensure that extremes are not encountered.
Zero represents the Cosmic Egg, the primordial Androgyne - the Plenum. Zero as an empty circle depicts both the nothingness of death and yet the totality of life contained within the circle. As an ellipse the two sides represent ascent and descent, evolution and involution.
Before the One (meaning the Source--not the number) there is only Void, or non-being; thought; the ultimate mystery, the incomprehensible Absolute. Begins with meanings such as, Non-existence; nothingness; the unmanifest; the unlimited; the eternal. The absence of all quality or quantity.
Cultural References
Taoism: It symbolizes the Void; non-being.
Buddhism: It is the Void and no-thingness.
Kabbalism: Boundless; Limitless Light; the Ain.
Pathagoras saw zero as the perfect. Zero is the Monad, the originator and container of All.
Islamic: Zero is the Divine Essence.
History of Zero:
India
In 498 AD, Indian mathematician and astronomer Aryabhata stated that "Sthanam sthanam dasa gunam" or place to place in ten times in value, which may be the origin of the modern decimal based place value notation.
The oldest known text to use zero is the Jain text from India entitled the Lokavibhaaga, dated 458 AD. however, it was first introduced to the world by Al Khawarizmim, a Persian mathematician, astronomer and geographer. He was the founder of several branches and basic concepts of mathematics. In the words of Phillip Hitti, Al Khawarizmi's contribution to mathematics influenced mathematical thought to a greater extent. His work on algebra initiated the subject in a systematic form and also developed it to the extent of giving analytical solutions of linear and quadratic equations, which established him as the founder of Algebra. The very name Algebra has been derived from his famous book Al-Jabr wa-al-Muqabilah.
His arithmetic synthesized Greek and Hindu knowledge and also contained his own contribution of fundamental importance to mathematics and science. Thus, he explained the use of zero, a numeral of fundamental importance developed by the Arabs. Similarly, he developed the decimal system so that the overall system of numerals, 'algorithm' or 'algorizm' is named after him.
The first indubitable appearance of a symbol for zero appears in 876 in India on a stone tablet in Gwalior. Documents on copper plates, with the same small o in them, dated back as far as the sixth century AD, abound.