[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Science, technology and education](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science) › [The Hindu-Arabic Numerals](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.smith-karpinski-1911) › c8.3 # The Hindu-Arabic Numerals c8.3 The Hindu-Arabic Numerals c8.3 - **Language:** English ### [c8.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.smith-karpinski-1911.c8.3) It was some centuries after the primitive Brāhmī and Kharoṣṭhī numerals had made their appearance in India that the zero first appeared there, although such a character was used by the Babylonians¹ in the centuries immediately preceding the Christian era. The symbol is \[Figure:\] or \[Figure:\], and apparently it was not used in calculation. Nor does it always occur when units of any order are lacking; thus 180 is written \[Figure:\] with the meaning three sixties and no units, since 181 immediately following is written \[Figure:\], three sixties and one unit.² The main use of this Babylonian symbol seems to have been in the fractions, 60ths, 3600ths, etc., and somewhat similar to the Greek use of \*o\*, for οὐδέν, with the meaning \*vacant\*. - [Previous: c8.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.smith-karpinski-1911.c8.2) - [Next: c8.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.smith-karpinski-1911.c8.4) - [Up: c8](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.smith-karpinski-1911.c8) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.smith-karpinski-1911.c8.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.smith-karpinski-1911.c8.3) · Pramāṇa