History+of+Zero+-+India+Huff

The History of Zero

 The concept of Zero is attributed to the Hindus. The Hindus were also  the first to use zero in the way it is used today. Some symbol was  required in positional number systems to mark the place of a power of  the base not actually occurring. This was indicated by the Hindus by a  small circle, which was called Shunya, the Sanskrit word for vacant.  This was translated into the Arabic Sifr about 800 A.D. Subsequent  changes have given us the word zero.