I don’t know how one would have a positional numeral notation without zero, even if it’s denoted by an empty space. Sure enough, reportedly the symbol for zero appeared in the Hindu numerals, derived from the non-positional Brahmi system. Although apparently both ancient Babylon and China already had their own positional notations, both with a space for zero.
Technically Arabs just brought over the Indian system. Would be fun if e.g. Slavs brought it instead, and it would be called Slavic numerals.
didn’t Arabs also introduce zero?
I don’t know how one would have a positional numeral notation without zero, even if it’s denoted by an empty space. Sure enough, reportedly the symbol for zero appeared in the Hindu numerals, derived from the non-positional Brahmi system. Although apparently both ancient Babylon and China already had their own positional notations, both with a space for zero.
Arabs added a system for fractions instead.