Contrary to popular belief, Indians were not the first to use the arithmetic form of zero. It was in formal use well before cultures evolved in the subcontinent. On the other hand, Europe did not accept the concept of zero till the 13th century. But India is still credited with the "discovery or invention" of zero. The reasons for this are complex. At our Online Talk #Shoonya, astronomer and astrophysicist Dr Mayank Vahia explains the reasons, and discusses the various aspects of zero in our culture.

About the speaker

Dr Mayank Vahia was a professor in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research till 2018. After that, he started the School of Mathematical Sciences at the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies and retired in 2021. He spent his earlier years making telescopes that were flown on American, Russian and Indian missions. In recent years, his interest has expanded into the history and philosophy of science in general and astronomy in particular.