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Is the khipu number system positional with a zero, or non-positional?

Asked 26 Oct 2026 by ·3 answers·0·0 following
Most likely: khipu numbers are base-ten positional, with an empty position standing for zeroAhead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

Where it stands

Three answers have been proposed. Khipu numbers are base-ten positional, with an empty position standing for zero. leads, with evidence 1 for: supported by its tests. Two are still possible.

Why it matters

Locke's decoding treats empty positions as zero in a base-ten place system⁠[1]. A 2025 preprint argues the system is non-positional and has no zero⁠[2].

Answers 3

Evidence: 1 for
Most likely
None of these.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: none yet
Still possible
Evidence: 1 for
Still possible

History

  1. Locke puts forward: khipu numbers are base-ten positional, with an empty position standing for zero.
  2. Medrano & Khosla: sum relations hold across most of the corpus under the positional reading.For: Khipu numbers are base-ten positional, with an empty position standing for zero.
  3. Florio & Overmann puts forward: the system is better described as non-positional and without a concept of zero, closer to other ancient…
  4. Florio & Overmann: a reanalysis of Guamán Poma's 1615 yupana drawing reads it as a non-positional multiplication method.For: The system is better described as non-positional and without a concept of zero, closer to other ancient…
  5. Asked on this site
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