Pope Sylvester II or Silvester II (c. 946 – 12 May 1003) is the head of the Catholic Church from April 2, 999 to his death in 1003.

Born Gerbert d'Aurillac (Gerbert of Aurillac), he is a prolific scholar and teacher.

He endorses and promotes study of Arab/Greco-Roman arithmetic, mathematics, and astronomy, reintroducing to Europe the abacus and armillary sphere, which had been lost to Europe since the end of the Greco-Roman era.

He is said to be the first to introduce in Europe the decimal numeral system using the Arabic numerals after his studies at the University of al-Karaouine in Morocco.

He is the first French Pope.