What is the history of whole number?

Whole numbers, which include all non-negative integers (0, 1, 2, 3, ...), have a history that dates back to ancient civilizations. Early counting systems emerged in places like Mesopotamia and Egypt around 3000 BCE, where they used symbols to represent quantities. The concept of zero, crucial for the whole number system, was developed later in India around the 5th century CE and spread to the Arab world and Europe, greatly influencing mathematics. Over time, whole numbers became fundamental in various fields, including commerce, science, and technology, forming the basis for arithmetic and number theory.