Overview

Zero has been axial in human development, but the origin and discovery of zero has never been satisfactorily addressed by a comprehensive, systematic and above all interdisciplinary research program. In this volume, over 40 international scholars explore zero under four broad themes: history; religion, philosophy & linguistics; arts; and mathematics & the sciences. Some propose that the invention/discovery of zero may have been facilitated by the prior evolution of a sophisticated concept of Nothingness or Emptiness (as it is understood in non-European traditions); and conversely, inhibited by the absence of, or aversion to, such a concept of Nothingness in the West. But not all scholars agree. Join the debate.

Full Product Details

Author:   Peter Gobets ,  Robert Lawrence Kuhn
Publisher:   Brill
Imprint:   Brill
Volume:   395
Weight:   1.427kg
ISBN:  

9789004691551

ISBN 10:   9004691553
Pages:   742
Publication Date:   29 March 2024
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order  
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Table of Contents

Contents Foreword  Valdis Segliņš Preface  Robert Lawrence Kuhn Acknowledgements List of Figures and Tables Notes on Contributors Introduction  Peter Gobets Part 0: Zero in Historical Perspective Introduction to Part 0 1 Viewing the Zero as a Part of Cross-cultural Intellectual Heritage  Bhaswati Bhattacharya 2 Connecting Zeros  Mayank N. Vahia 3 Babylonian Zeros  Jim Ritter 4 Aspects of Zero in Ancient Egypt  Friedhelm Hoffmann 5 The Zero Concept in Ancient Egypt  Beatrice Lumpkin 6 On the Placeholder in Numeration and the Numeral Zero in China  Célestin Xiaohan Zhou 7 Reflections on Early Dated Inscriptions from South India  T. S. Ravishankar 8 From Śūnya to Zero – an Enigmatic Odyssey  Parthasarathi Mukhopadhyay 9 The Significance of Zero in Jaina Mathematics  Anupam Jain 10 Notes on the Origin of the First Definition of Zero Consistent with Basic Physical Laws  Jonathan J. Crabtree 11 Putting a Price on Zero  Manil Suri 12 Revisiting Khmer Stele K-127  Debra G. Aczel, Solang Uk and Hab Touch 13 The Medieval Arabic Zero  Jeffrey A. Oaks 14 Numeration in the Scientific Manuscripts of the Maghreb  Djamil Aïssani 15 The Zero Triumphant: Allegory, Emptiness and the Early History of the Tarot  Esther Freinkel Tishman Part 1: Zero in Religious, Philosophical and Linguistic Perspective Introduction to Part 1 16 On the Semiotics of Zero  Brian Rotman 17 Nought Matters: the History and Philosophy of Zero  Paul Ernest 18 The Influence of Buddhism on the Invention and Development of Zero  Alexis Lavis 19 Zero and Śūnyatā: Likely Bedfellows  Fabio Gironi 20 Indian Origin of Zero  Ravi Prakash Arya 21 A Philosophical Origin of the Mathematical Zero  Sudip Bhattacharyya 22 Category Theory and the Ontology of Śūnyata  Sisir Roy and Rayudu Posina 23 Zero: an Integrative Spiritual Perspective with One and Infinity  Sharda S. Nandram, Puneet K. Bindlish, Ankur Joshi and Vishwanath Dhital 24 Challenges in Interpreting the Invention of Zero  Kaspars Klavins 25 Some More Unsystematic Notes on Śūnya  Alberto Pelissero 26 Much Ado about Nothing or, How Much Philosophy Is Required to Invent the Number Zero?  Johannes Bronkhorst 27 From Emptiness to Nonsense: the Constitution of the Number Zero (for Non-mathematicians)  Erik Hoogcarspel 28 The Fear of Nothingness  John Marmysz 29 The Concept of Naught in Jewish Tradition  Esti Eisenmann 30 How Does Tom Tillemans Think?  Erik Hoogcarspel 31 Overhauling the Prevailing Worldview: an Essay  Peter Gobets Part 2: Zero in the Arts Introduction to Part 2 32 Selected Works by Anish Kapoor  Peter Gobets Part 3: Zero in Mathematics and Science Introduction to Part 3 33 The Unique Significance of Zero in Thinking: a Sense of ‘Nothing’  Andreas Nieder 34 Can We Divide by Zero?  Marina Ville 35 Division by Zero (khahara) in Indian Mathematics  Avinash Sathaye 36 Zero: in Various Forms  Mayank N. Vahia and Upsana Neogi 37 Nothing, Zeno Paradoxes and Quantum Physics  Marcis Auzinsh 38 The Significance to Physics of the Number Zero  Joseph A. Biello and R. Samson 39 A World without Zero  R. Samson Epilogue  Peter Gobets Appendix 1: Expertise Center on Zero Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Appendix 2: Online Presentations Appendix 3: Status Update/Petition on the Bakhshali Manuscript Index

Reviews

“…a fascinating interdisciplinary expedition to unearth zero’s best-kept secrets.” — Professor Max Tegmark, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA “Zero has been central to battles in mathematics, in philosophy, in religion, and in the sciences.” — Professor John Leslie, University of Guelph, Canada

Author Information

Peter Gobets is an independent researcher, specializing in philosophy, linguistics and the history of science and mathematics. He has authored three books including a philosophical novel. In the early 1990s, he drafted the original Zero Project, formally launched in 2015. Robert Lawrence Kuhn (B.A., S.M., Ph.D.) is creator and host of Closer To Truth (science and philosophy, TV and web). He has written or edited over thirty books, chairs The Kuhn Foundation, and received the China Reform Friendship Medal.

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