• AnarchoEngineer@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    18 days ago

    Wait did Pythagoras even know about zero? Like iirc he’s wayy before standard numerals and zero didn’t start becoming mainstream in the west ‘till long after that right?

    (Speaking of, it always blows my mind that someone was able to give a proof of the irrationality of the square root of 2 without even using numbers)

    • mickus@sh.itjust.works
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      18 days ago

      Well according to oxford 3rd century is the earliest known mention (reference found in India. This is well after Pythagoras’ life (approx 500BC, ref)

      And finally, zero arrived in the 13th centruy for the west: reference