USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -That the Maya understood the value of zero is remarkable-most of the world’s civilizations had no concept of zero at that time. The Maya used the vigesimal system for their calculations-a system based on 20 rather than 10.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Maya zero, as both a philosophical and a mathematical concept, implies the beginning and the end, the absence of quantity, and a bridge between the past and the future.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Maya were the first to include the number zero in all the Americas, but to them it did not mean something of no value; rather, it had a value that symbolized plenitude.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Mayan culture used a base 20 number system. It was an additive positional system that used two symbols, a dot for one, a horizontal bar for five, and a cowry shell for a place holder (it is unclear whether they also considered it a true numeric “zero”).

Detailed explanation-5: -A remarkable feature of the classic Maya culture that is not recognized as much as it should be is the very early use of a zero as a number and placeholder in their calendar and, presumably, number system.