Why did multiplication and division become easier during the Gupta empire?

They were the first to use base 10 numbers
They were the first to understand long division
They created a numeral for zero
They combined Chinese and Greek knowledge

1 answer

During the Gupta Empire, multiplication and division became easier primarily because they created a numeral for zero. The introduction of the concept of zero as a number was a significant mathematical advancement, allowing for more efficient calculations and representing numbers in a place-value system. This innovation, along with the development of the decimal system (base 10), greatly facilitated arithmetic operations, including multiplication and division. While the other factors contributed to the overall mathematical knowledge, the invention of zero was a key turning point.