Thanks very much, Lubomir. This shows, once again, what a great resource the Indology list is.
All the best Hans Henrich > On 25 Jul2022, at 11:07, Lubomír Ondračka <[email protected]> wrote: > > Staal's paper. > L. > > On Mon, 25 Jul 2022 15:54:24 +0000 > "Hock, Hans Henrich via INDOLOGY" <[email protected]> wrote: > >> On the origin of zero, there is also an interesting article by Frits Staal >> (see reference below), which unfortunately is available to me only in >> snippets. Staal discusses various proposed accounts, including origin from >> Chinese mathematics (through Southeast Asia), śūnya, and also the Pāṇinian >> grammatical tradition, referring to lopa and three “zero” elements in >> Pāṇini’s grammar – luk, lup, and ślu – together with the notion that >> knowledge of Pāṇinian grammar was foundational for all of the >> Sanskrit-language literature. According to one publication, whose reference >> is not available to me right now, Staal concluded "[between 1000 and 600 >> BCE a linguistic term] 'lopa' [was used] to refer to omissions, >> disappearances and things that are lost. It is here that the origins of the >> mathematical concept of zero seem to lie. It is a long period and with >> smudgy edges but there it is …" >> >> The interpretation of luk, lup, ślu as zero elements may require some >> further thought. In Pāṇini’s grammar (1.1.60-63) there is a general >> “zeroing” process called lopa, in addition to the three specific “zero” >> elements luk, lup, ślu. The two differ from each other as follows: lopa does >> not delete the grammatical features associated with the zeroed element; luk, >> lup, and ślu do. This may raise the question as to which is the “real” zero >> element. Although luk, lup, ślu are named elements, they actually designate >> just absence or complete deletion. Lopa, by contrast, can be understood as >> introducing an element that has zero content but has grammatical properties >> like other, full elements in Pāṇini’s grammar. From this perspective, then, >> lopa might be considered to come closer to zero in numbers theory, where >> questions such as what is 0 x 1 or 1 : 0, questions that are addressed in >> some of the later mathematical treatises. Perhaps some Pāṇiniyan scholar can >> through more light on this matter? >> >> I’m not sure whether this adds to the discussion or leads to more confusion. >> >> All the best, >> >> Hans Henrich >> >> The reference: Staal, Frits. 2010. On the origins of zero. Studies in the >> history of Indian mathematics, ed. by C. S. Seshadri, 38-53. New Delhi: >> Hindustan Book Agency. >> >> >> >> On 25 Jul2022, at 07:26, Howard Resnick <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> >> wrote: >> >> Might one say that sunyata may arise where sunya is well understood? >> >> On Jul 25, 2022, at 4:08 AM, Harsha Dehejia via INDOLOGY >> <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> >> Friends: >> >> Thank you for the many useful responses. >> >> While it is clear that no definite scientific evidence is forthcoming to >> suggest that the mathematical concept of sunya arose from the Mahayana >> concept of sunyata, it is difficult to dismiss that the similarity of the >> two words is accidental. >> >> Sunya can only rise in an ethos where the concept of sunyata is well >> understood. >> >> Kind regards, >> >> Harsha >> Prof. Harsha V. Dehejia >> >> _______________________________________________ >> INDOLOGY mailing list >> [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> >> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology__;!!DZ3fjg!7P7CZSSOcjEVQiQZ3eaoOKlRbfH6jkFqq1DmoGkAI1OFzQdpN-okLM1Hp9v-raUxoCyrKNnBW47WD8LemSMBacg$ >> >> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology__;!!DZ3fjg!_fVEPk-7xYYr61WpNSyDmzgNGAw-IX3CsP91qYp1HD4kMZxt2ssFFdkl-9cr4xEHiYbreZCCPNY$> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> INDOLOGY mailing list >> [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> >> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology__;!!DZ3fjg!_fVEPk-7xYYr61WpNSyDmzgNGAw-IX3CsP91qYp1HD4kMZxt2ssFFdkl-9cr4xEHiYbreZCCPNY$ >> > <STAAL (2010) On the Origins of Zero.pdf> _______________________________________________ INDOLOGY mailing list [email protected] https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology
