Abstract (eng)
Who would have thought that a number that represents nothing could strongly influence the fate of mathematics. At first sight, the number zero appears very harmless, yet it has become one of the stumbling blocks of mathematics and, implicitly, its most important component.
This dissertation consists of two major parts. The first part discusses the genesis of the number zero. The second part of the dissertation deals with the importance of this mystical number in various areas of application in mathematics.
The genesis of the number zero is inextricably linked with the development of the decimal place-value system, which is now internationally established. This number system is a joint achievement by many cultures. The Mayans had multiple symbols for zero, which they used for their religious calendar. The Babylonians left a space for a zero digit with no symbol in their sexagesimal system. The Greeks had an aversion to the zero and only adopted it in Babylonian astronomy. The zero, as it is used today, was born in India. The Arabs adopted the number zero from the Indians, together with the decimal place-value system. This number system, which gave the zero its reputation, came to the western world in Fibonacci's arithmetic book.
The dissertation examines the question of how the number “zero” entered the number system and which cultures participated in this. Therefore, the aim was to describe the number systems of the abovementioned cultures and to examine their importance for the introduction of zero.
The second, larger part of the dissertation discusses and presents the algebraic properties of the number zero, the solving of equations with zero, and the importance and application of the number zero in probability and infinitesimal calculus.