Where Did Numerals Originate



Where Did Numerals Originate?

We deal with numbers all the time. Not just while doing math lessons at school, but also while counting money at the shop, memorizing the numbers of our favorite TV channels or even keeping tabs on the number of hours we spend in front of the Internet! But we are so used to numbers that it has never occurred to us to find out where these numbers come from.

Archaeologists and anthropologists study ancient civilizations. They have helped us to understand how people long ago counted and recorded numbers. Their findings suggest that the first attempts at counting were to use a tally.

For example, in ancient times people used items to represent numbers:

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scratches on a cave knots on a rope pebbles on the sand notches cut on a

wall showed the showed the rows of showed the number of branch showed the

number of new moons corn planted traps set for fish number of new lambs

In time, humans learned to write numbers more efficiently. They did this by developing number systems.

There is archaeological evidence that as long ago as 3600 BC the Egyptians were using a detailed number system. The symbols used to represent numbers were pictures of everyday things. These symbols are called hieroglyphics which means sacred picture writings. The Egyptians used a tally system based on the number ten. Ten of one symbol could be replaced by one of another symbol. We call this a base ten system.

The Egyptians used a tally system based on the number ten. Ten of one symbol could be replaced by one of another symbol. We call this a base ten system.

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The value of the numerals could be found by adding the value of the symbols used. So 22 was written as

The Ancient Greeks saw the need to include a symbol for 5. This symbol was combined with the symbols for 10, 100, and 1000 to make 50, 500, and 5000.

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Like the Greeks, the Romans used a number for five. The numbers in Roman system are written as I, II, III, IV, V etc. Although this number system is also a well-developed one, there's one problem in it. Since there is no symbol for zero in it, there is difficulty in carrying out addition, subtraction and other calculations.

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Let's take an example. In the Arabic number system the calculation of 2076+600, can be easily computed by arranging the numbers in two vertical columns. However, the same calculation is not so easy, when it comes to the Roman system. Why? Because under the Roman system, the numbers are written differently. This is because M means a thousand, D stands for 500, C stands for a hundred, L for fifty, X for ten, V for five and I for one.

You might already have heard that zero was invented in India. But it is not so widely known that even the other numerals were invented in India only.

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This is because the figures written as 1, 2, 3 etc. are commonly known as 'Arabic'.

This would naturally make it seem that the number system originated in Arabia and not in India. Sounds rather mysterious no? That something that was invented by an Indian scientist should be known as Arabic? But there's quite an interesting story behind this.

Sometime in the year 771, Arab merchants took some Indian scholars to Baghdad (the present capital of Iraq) to help teach them the new set of numbers. After learning the numbers, the Arabs translated the numbers into their own script that is Arabic. Sometime later, the Arab traders carried a book of these numerals (in their language or script) to Europe, where the numbers were translated into Latin. As the world at large got these numbers from Arabia, these came to be known as Arabic.

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It is amazing what a big difference the seemingly simple and valueless number '0' can make. The small number '1' can be turned into a million! a billion!! Or even a trillion!!! - Thanks to the magical powers of zero.

Here are some more interesting facts. The script of the Arabic language (not mathematical) moves from right to left, unlike English, which moves from left to right. However, Arabic numbers are written from left to right. Why? Because they were borrowed from India!

Since the time they were invented, Arabic numerals have undergone only minor changes from the original Hindu manuscript. The numbers that have undergone slight changes include 4, 5, 6 and 7.

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So that is the "number story" how numbers were born in India, traveled to Arabia and then to Europe. And now? Well, the whole world is using them all the time. Rather interesting, no?

Where Did Numbers Originate?

1. Describe the job of an archeologist?

2. What were the first attempts at counting?

3. According to the passage, what are some of the items that were used by ancient man for counting?

4. Based on the passage, describe the number system of the Egyptians?

5. Compare the Greek and Roman numbers.

6. In the Roman system what did M stand for?

7. Zero was invented in which country?

8. Describe how the words in Arabic differ from the numbers written in Arabic?

9. Summarize how numbers have changed from ancient times to today.

10. Write the following problems using the Greek system.

1 + 4 = 5 ____________________________

11. What numbers are represented by the following Roman

numerals?

VIII _____________ XVI _____________

12. Write the following problem using the Arabic system.

8 - 7 = 1 ____________________________

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