History of Hindu Mathematics: A Source Book v1.c7.s12.45

v1.c7.s12.45

² Smith and Karpinski (*Hindu-Arabic Numerals*, p. 53) state, “.. the Gaṇita-Sâra-Saṅgraha of Mahâvîrâchârya (*c.* 830 A.D.), while it does not use the numerals with place value, has a similar discussion with zero.” The first part of the statement is incorrect, because Mahâvîra has always used numerals with place ed as a number before the seventeenth century A.D., is incorrect. *Cf.* B. Datta, “Early literary evidence of the use of the zero in India,” *American Math. Monthly*, XXXVIII, 1931, p. 569.