The Mumbai sky as seen on 12Dec08 at 1810hrs.
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Friday, January 16, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
ABC Wednesday - Z for Zero
The Mumbai full moon reminds us of Zero - a very important numeral. In around 500AD Aryabhata devised a number system which had no zero, yet was a positional system. He used the word "kha" for position and it would be used later as the name for zero. There is evidence that a dot had been used in earlier Indian manuscripts to denote an empty place in positional notation. It is interesting that the same documents sometimes also used a dot to denote an unknown where we might use x. Later Indian mathematicians had names for zero in positional numbers yet had no symbol for it. The first record of the Indian use of zero which is dated and agreed by all to be genuine was written in 876.We have an inscription on a stone tablet which contains a date which translates to 876. The inscription concerns the town of Gwalior, 400 km south of Delhi, where they planted a garden 187 by 270 hastas which would produce enough flowers to allow 50 garlands per day to be given to the local temple. Both of the numbers 270 and 50 are denoted almost as they appear today although the 0 is smaller and slightly raised.
To learn more about zero please click here
To view fascinating interpretations of 'Z' from around the world please click here
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Camera Critters
A Murder of Crows conferring on the state of affairs in Mumbai.
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Saturday, January 10, 2009
Fare thee well
Bidding farewell to near and dear ones at the Kurla railway Terminus. This train is going to Mangalore in Karnataka. It will take about 16hrs to traverse the distance through some scenic routes and will also pass through Goa.
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