In giving credit where credit is due, we should remember that not only did the Arabs develop the numerals and number system we use (formally called Arabic Numerals, and not only did the Arabs invent the concept of the "zero" (0); but they also invented the science of mathematics we know as Algebra.
Around the 10th Century AD, the Arabs were the most advanced civilization in all arts and sciences; the leader of the world in medicine, architecture, literature, etc... .