The Gupta inscription from 448 CE found in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), Uttar Pradesh, provides early evidence of the decimal place-value system in India. This inscription, along with other historical records, confirms that the Indian numeral system, which later became the Hindu-Arabic numeral system, was already in use by the 5th century CE.
- First Use of Place-Value Notation:
The system used nine digits (1-9) and a placeholder for zero in positional notation.
This was a revolutionary shift from earlier additive number systems (like Roman numerals).
- Mathematical and Astronomical Applications:
Mathematicians like Aryabhata (499 CE) and Brahmagupta (7th century CE) refined this system.
It allowed for efficient calculations in algebra, arithmetic, and astronomy.
- Spread to the World:
This system was adopted by Arab scholars and later introduced to Europe in the 12th century through translations of Arabic texts.
It became the foundation of the modern number system used worldwide today.
The Bakhshali Manuscript (3rd–7th century CE) contains the earliest recorded use of zero as a placeholder.
Brahmagupta (7th century CE) formally defined zero and negative numbers in his work Brahmasphutasiddhanta.
Copper plates and inscriptions from the Gupta period (4th–6th century CE) show numbers written in the decimal system.
