c. 628 CEReputable source · 2 sourcesWell documented
The Invention of Zero
On the timeline · around c. 628 CE · Zero, Algebra & Numerals
What happened
In India, mathematicians developed the place-value decimal system and, crucially, treated zero as a number in its own right. Around 628 CE, Brahmagupta set down rules for arithmetic with zero and negative numbers. This complete Hindu numeral system was the ancestor of the digits the whole world uses today.
Why it matters
Zero and place-value notation transformed mathematics, making calculation vastly easier and enabling everything from algebra to modern computing. It is one of the most important intellectual inventions in history.