While the mathematicians were still looking askance at the Greek gift of the irrational number, the Hindus of India were preparing another brain-teaser, the negative number, which they introduced about A.D. 700. The Hindus saw that when the usual, positive numbers were used to represent assets, it was helpful to have other number represent debts.


pp. 49-50. - Mathematics and the Physical World (1959)

Morris Kline Quotes

While the mathematicians were still looking askance at the Greek gift of the irrational number, the Hindus of India were preparing another...

While the mathematicians were still looking askance at the Greek gift of the irrational number, the Hindus of India were preparing another...

While the mathematicians were still looking askance at the Greek gift of the irrational number, the Hindus of India were preparing another...

While the mathematicians were still looking askance at the Greek gift of the irrational number, the Hindus of India were preparing another...