How was zero invented? Discover how ancient India's Brahmagupta formalized zero and negative numbers in 628 CE: the mathematical foundation behind every computer, smartphone, and algorithm today.

In this episode of India's Golden Age Podcast, we explore the untold story of how a 7th-century astronomer in Ujjain revolutionized mathematics, why Europe banned "infidel math" for centuries, and how philosophical traditions of śūnyatā (emptiness) enabled the greatest technological breakthrough in human history.

Learn how ancient India's mathematical innovations shaped modern technology, why controlling your narrative matters, and how humanities enable technical breakthroughs.

0:00 Introduction: Zero as Humanity's Most Powerful Invention

0:32 Brahmagupta's Revolution: Formalizing Zero in 628 CE India

1:38 Mathematical Systems: Roman vs Indian Computational Advantages

2:28 Pre-Brahmagupta Context: Practical Use of Negative Numbers in Trade

3:51 Brahmasphutasiddhanta: Theorizing What Merchants Already Practiced

5:08 Formalizing Arithmetic Rules: Operations with Zero and Negatives

6:06 Division by Zero Problem: Brahmagupta's Error, Bhaskara's Correction

6:46 Al-Khwarizmi Encounters Indian Mathematics: The Baghdad Transmission

8:23 Credit Attribution Problem: "Arabic Numerals" Misnomer Analysis

9:26 Infrastructure and Philosophy: Conditions That Enabled Zero's Development