India's contribution of ZERO came to be known much later. It is just India's misfortune that whatever talent existed got 'removed' and India remained under almost conditions of *slavery* for almost 2300 years prior to 1947 August 14/15th.
Brij<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
From: "Joseph B. Reid" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Brij Bhushan Vij" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Measure of all things
Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2002 20:32:50 -0500
I thank Brij Bhushan Vij for providing in USMA 24013 further examples of
conversion factors other than 10. It was the practice in the British imperial system to express dimension less than 1 inch in vulgar fractions; e.g. drill bits 1/64, 1/32, 5/64, 3/32. 7/64. 3/16, etc. SI avoids vulgar fractions by using smaller units; e.g. 0.4. 0.8. 2.0, 2.4, 2.8. 4.8. etc.
Bij wrote:
Reid, sir:
Whatever may be the origin to use 20,16 or 12 by British, histrigraphy of India reveal these numbers in ancient Weights & Measures to count as Kauri(20), Gaz(yard) of 16 Girah (and Rupee of 16 Annas) and count in Dozen (12) is still popular in villages.
Invention of ZERO given by India has added this dimension to count large and/or astronomical numbers. It is natural if Metric Reform made use of this unique property of Ten(10).
Regards,
Brij B. Vij<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Thanks to India we received zero and hence "Arabic" numeric notation. Simoon
Stevin added decimal fractions. In another couple of centuries the "decimal metric system" was developed.
--
Joseph B. Reid
17 Glebe Road West
Toronto M5P 1C8 Telephone 416-486-6071
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