Which concept did the Maya understand before Europeans did?
(1 point)
• architecture
O calendars
O hieroglyphics
• the number zero
• the number zero
The concept that the Maya understood before Europeans did is the number zero.
The concept that the Maya understood before Europeans did was the number zero.
To understand how the Maya grasped this concept before Europeans, we can look into their mathematical system. The Maya had a highly advanced numerical system that included the concept of zero. They developed a positional system, similar to what we use today, where the value of a digit depends on its position. This allowed them to perform complex calculations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and even division.
In contrast, the concept of zero was not widely understood or accepted in Europe until later in history. The ancient Greeks and Romans, for example, did not have a symbol or a clear understanding of zero as a placeholder in numerical calculations. It was the Indian mathematician and astronomer, Aryabhata, who first introduced the concept of zero to the rest of the world in the 5th century.
Therefore, while the Maya comprehended the significance of zero and integrated it into their mathematical system, Europeans were unaware of this mathematical concept until a much later time.