Finding Zero (22 page)

Sumatra,
96
–7

infinity,
35
–7,
56
–8,
78
,
100
–1,
103
–4,
142
,
144
–50,
161
,
212
–13

Ishango bone,
20
–2

Island of Meroe,
103

Israel,
1
,
7
,
18
,
109

Jainism,
34
,
36
–7,
42
,
44
–7,
51
,
78
,
103
–4,
145
,
148
,
150

Jantar Mantar (Jaipur observatory),
74

Jayavarman II,
93

Jayavarman VII,
103
,
115
,
207

Jean-Marc (Hindu from Chennai),
138
–9,
141
–2,
144
,
148
–50

K-127 (inscription artifact)

605 (Khmer numerals),
95
,
107
,
175
, 177, 209–10

discovery of,
94

fear of removal to Italy,
188
–92

loss of,
99
,
107
–8

museum display text,
208
–11

rediscovery of,
174
–87

search for,
116
–17,
120
,
126
–7,
129
,
134
–5,
150
–1,
163
,
166
–7

transfer to Cambodian National Museum,
218
–19

See also
Cœdès, Georges (archaeologist)

Kakutani, Shizuo (mathematician),
196
–7

Karpinski, Louis C.,
75
–7

Kaye, G. R. (scholar),
77
,
79
,
88
–9,
93
,
96
–7,
106

Keay, John,
63

Khajuraho (group of temples),
42
–5,
48
–53,
72
–3,
92

Khandela inscription,
72
–3,
80

Khmer empire,
92
–3,
100
–1,
103
,
107

C
œ
dès on number system,
215

Old Khmer (language),
22
,
87
,
94
–5,
114
,
205
,
208
–9

zero,
150
,
156
,
175
,
218
,
219

Khmer Rouge,
98
–9,
107
–8,
125
,
129
,
150
,
163
,
166
,
173
,
176
,
200
,
202
–3, 210,
219
,
222

Killing Fields,
99

koppa
(archaic Greek letter),
14

Kristof, Nicholas,
165
,
197

Laci (Aczel's childhood tutor),
2
–16,
18
–20,
30
,
34
,
52
,
83
–4,
110
–12,
221
–3

Lakshmi (Hindu goddess),
35
,
100
–1

Laos,
87
,
93
,
118
,
127
,
131
–3,
135
,
149
–51,
197

Leclère, Adhémard (archaeologist),
94

Leonardo of Pisa (Fibonacci):
Liber Abaci,
26
.
See also
Fibonacci sequence

Linton, Fred,
56
–7,
60
–1,
105
,
136

logic,
36
–7,
39
–41,
51
–62,
71
,
105
–6,
109
,
136
–42,
148

Long Count (Mayan calendar),
31

Luang Prabang, Laos,
127
,
131
–3,
149
–51

Kiridara Hotel,
133

M.V. Yaffo
(Aczel's father's cargo ship),
18
–19

Madhya Pradesh (Indian state),
42
–3,
78

magic square,
45
,
47
–51

Mahabharata
(Indian epic),
205

Majorana, Ettore (theoretical physicist),
157
–8

Marcel, Pierre,
120

Maxwell, James Clerk,
24

Maya civilization

calendars,
31
–2

number system,
31
–4,
212
,
215

zero,
31
,
79
–80,
203

McLeish, John,
63

Mersenne, Marin (mathematician),
194
–6

Meskin, Jacob,
152
–5,
162

Mexico City,
29
–31

Miró, Joan,
223

Mohenjo Daro (first known city in India),
63

Monaco,
1
–2,
4

Mouhot, Henri,
92
,
207

Mula-madhyamaka-karikas
(Fundamental middleway verses),
154

Naga
(seven-headed cobra),
103
, 129

Nagarjuna (philosopher),
39
–40,
55
,
57
,
60
–1,
105
–6,
136
–7,
139
–40,
152
–5

Nana Ghat cave inscriptions,
64
–7,
223

Nandin (bull),
102
,
129

Narayana.
See
Vishnu (also Narayana)

National Museum of Anthropology (Mexico City),
29
–31

negative numbers,
23
–4,
76
,
106
, 209

Neugebauer, Otto (mathematician),
25

Nhat Hanh, Thich,
106

Nicholas Bourbaki (pseudonymous mathematical association), 59

Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art,
23

number systems

base–5,
215

base–8,
216

base–10,
25
,
33
,
65
,
208
, 210,
215

base–18,
31
–2,
215

base–20,
22
,
25
,
31
–2,
215

base–60,
24
–5,
65
,
75
, 209

numbers

defined,
10

negative,
23
–4,
76
,
106
, 209

prime,
6
,
19
,
22
,
56
,
160
–1,
194
–7,
201

very large,
6
,
37
,
78
,
104
,
144
–5,
148

See also
number systems

numerals

Arabic,
8
–9,
26
,
47
–50,
95

Hindi,
47
–51,
75

letters as,
13
–15,
208
,
223

Khandela inscription,
72
–3,
80

magic square,
47
–50

Mayan,
31

Nana Ghat cave inscriptions,
64
–7,
223

Roman,
15
–16,
23

See also
number systems; K-127 (inscription artifact); zero

Oppenheimer, Robert,
139

Palembang (Indonesian province),
96
,
106
–7, 210

Parsvanatha temple (Khajuraho),
47
–8

Parvati (Hindu goddess),
35
,
45

Pellegrino, Lorella (archaeologist),
180
–91,
193
,
219

Penrose, Roger:
The Road to Reality,
150

Phnom Penh (Cambodian capital),
94
,
118
,
120
,
122
,
165
–6,
191
–2,
194
,
197

Bangkok contrasted with,
199
–200

Cambodian National Museum,
102
,
128
–9,
165
,
203
–4,
218
–19

FFC café and bar,
200

InterContinental Hotel,
122
, 199

Wat Langka (Bangkok),
122
–4

Wat Pho (Bangkok),
123
,
164

Phoenicia,
14
,
39

Phoenician alphabet,
14
,
66

phonetic alphabet,
214
–15

Piraeus (port of Athens),
10
–12,
14
–15

Pol Pot,
98
,
108

pre-counting,
21
–2

prime numbers,
6
,
19
,
22
,
56
,
160
–1,
194
–7,
201

Pythagoras (mathematician),
38
–9,
54
,
66

Raiders of the Lost Ark
(film),
179
–80

Rajasthan (Indian state),
72
–4

Raju, C. K.,
38
–42,
61
,
69

Ramanujan, Srinivasa (Indian mathematician),
70
–1

Ramayana
(Indian epic),
205

Rava, Antonio (conservator),
184
–6

Rig-Veda
(Sanskrit text),
62
–3.
See also
Vedas

Roemer, Andres,
28
–9

Rotanak Yang,
127
–8,
163
–6,
171

Russell, Bertrand (mathematician),
136
, 147

Sambor on Mekong, Cambodia,
116
,
120
–1,
124
,
206

art style,
94
,
116

discovery of K-127,
94
–5,
107
,
166
,
176
,
208

Trapang Prei (temple),
94
–5,
107
,
208

Sambor Prei Kuk,
94
,
102
,
129
,
206

sampi
(archaic Greek letter),
14

Sanskrit,
57
,
62
,
66
,
78
,
87
,
90
,
114
,
154
,
204
–5,
216

Sen, Suraj,
78

Shakti (female goddess),
35
,
45

Shimura, Goro,
83

Shiva (Hindu god),
35
–6,
45
,
102
,
129
,
138
–9,
149

Short Count (Mayan calendar),
31
–2

Shunya
(zero, Sanskrit),
40
–1,
69

Shunyata
(Buddhist void),
40
–1,
78
,
104
,
105
–6,
127
,
135
,
137
,
142
,
148
,
152
,
154
–5,
161
–2

Siem Reap, Cambodia,
91
,
166
,
168
–9,
182
,
193

Angkor Conservation,
163
,
165
–8,
172
,
181
, 210,
217

Siem Reap Museum,
116
–17,
166
,
171

sifr
(zero, Arabic),
26

Sihanouk, Norodom,
200

Smith, David Eugene,
45
,
64

Soviet Union,
6
–7

SS
Theodor Herzl
(Aczel's father's cruise ship),
1
–2,
7
,
10
,
15

Sumatra,
96
–7

sun god,
103

Surya (Hindu god),
103

Suvarnabhumi International Airport (Bangkok),
113
,
194

sva-bhava
(unchanging nature),
154

Taormina, Francesca (archaeologist),
180
–3

tetralemma
(four corners/possibilities, also
catuskoti
),
57
,
60
–1,
105
–6,
136
,
139
–42,
148
,
152

Thailand,
9
,
87
,
93

Bangkok,
199
–200

Galerie Mouhot,
115
–16

Jim Thompson's contributions to,
156
–7

language,
93

Suvarnabhumi International Airport,
113
,
194

Thai National Library,
114

Thompson, Jim,
156
–8

Tonatiuh (Aztec sun god),
29
–30

Tonle Sap River,
123
,
200

topos
(space),
59
–61,
105
,
160
–1

Touch, Hab.
See
Hab Touch (Mr. Hab)

transistor radio,
14
–15,
110

Trapang Prei (temple),
94
–5,
107
,
208
.
See also
K-127 (inscription artifact)

Trimurti (Hindu triad),
36

tuk-tuk (auto rickshaw),
42

University of Alaska in Juneau,
28

University of California at Berkeley,
18
,
20
,
28