Zero to Infinity: A History of Numbers

The Dramatic Digits - The Power of Zero (1x4)

Air date: Jan 01, 2007

When calculation became more important, zero—a crucial breakthrough—was born. Unwieldy additive number systems, like Babylonian nails and dovetails, or Roman numerals, gave way to compact place-based systems. These systems, which include the modern base-10 system we use today, made modern mathematics possible.