John writes:

> They use Hindi/Urdu numerals in Arabic language. Means that you need to be
>  careful on a pc with Arabic char set in configuring your choice of 
numerals,
>  as one of the choices is Arabic! Important connection to the Arabs 
invention
>  of zero is that the symbol for it is a period, but its written in mid line,
>  not on the line, so to speak- see my license plate in pic.

The story may be completely apocryphal, but the tale most commonly told in 
academic circles is that when the *concept* of the zero was first introduced 
into Europe by the Moors in Spain, the Spanish academicians readily embraced the 
idea but puzzled over how to represent it. In the end they chose a circle to 
represent the "nothingness" that the circle enveloped and that the zero 
represented.

Otherwise, the dot notation for the zero is about 1700 years old and dates to 
India, as you more or less imply, but the first use of a zero is nearly 4000 
years old.

Wirt Atmar

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