From the Middle East to Europe
Zero in the Middle East
By 773 AD, the idea of zero had reached Baghdad where it then became part of the Hindu-Arabic Numeral System. To represent the number, mathematicians used a little diamond. The symbol was called "sifr".
"The addition of zero to the Hindu-Arabic Numeral System was instrumental in zero being introduced to Europe."
~ Marcus du Sautoy
(Mathematics Professor at the University of Oxford)
Zeros Impact On Europe
Zero arrived in Europe when the Moors occupied Spain. The Moors were Muslim inhabitants from the Iberian Peninsula. In 711 AD, the Moors invaded Spain, taking their culture, including zero and the Hindu-Arabic Numeral System, along with them.
Illustration from the "Margarita Philosophica", made in 1503 AD, Spain, by Gregor Reisch. This picture depicts the abacus versus the Hindu-Arabic Numeral System. In the early days of the Hindu-Arabic Numeral System, many people argued which system was better; The new Hindu-Arabic Numeral System, or the current Abacus Counting System.
(Source-Houghton Library, Harvard University)
This is the title page of the "Arithmetices Elementa" made in 1544 by Georg von Peurbach. This book is about arithmetic and includes ideas of the Hindu-Arabic Numeral System.
(Source-Mathematical Association of America)
This is a picture of the Italian mathematician Fibonacci. Fibonacci was instrumental in zero being introduced to Europe and is overall an extremely important figure in mathematics and the history of zero.
(Source-University of Saint Andrews)
Zeros Opposition
"In 1299 AD, zero was banned in Florence, Italy, along with all Arabic numerals."
~ Hannah Fry
(Mathematician)
Medieval religious leaders in Europe did not support the use of zero. They viewed zero as satanic. The Italian government was suspicious of the Arabic numbers and had banned them. But even then, merchants secretly used zero.
The Hindu-Arabic Numeral System Key. These were the numbers which were banned.
(Source-Arabic Language and Culture)
This is a section of the Codex Vigilanus which was made in the 10th century AD in Spain. This is the first mention and representation of Arabic numerals in Europe. When this was released, most historians had rejected the Arabic Numerals.
(Source-Vanderbilt University)
(Source-The Royal Institution, London, Speaker-Hannah Fry)