In the Roman system the year 2004 can be written quite compactly as MMIV, with a hint of positional notation in that the "I" appearing before the "V" means that the one it represents is to be subtracted from the five represented by the "V." Roman numerals were adequate for record keeping and could be added and subtracted easily, but were far more cumbersome in multiplication and division and certainly not suited to the needs of modern science or commerce. In the Roman system, still occasionally used today, letters of the alphabet were used to represent units and multiples of five or ten. Of the several number systems, those that had the greatest effect on the development of mathematics in Europe of the Middle Ages were the Roman, the Chinese, and the Indian or Hindu, transmitted to the Western world by the Arabs and now known as Hindu-Arabic numerals. By the last century b.c., this system included a symbol for zero, which was used as a placeholder in expressing quantities. The Babylonians developed a sophisticated number system based on the number 60, using it in commerce and for astronomy and astrology. The Babylonians, Egyptians, Indians, and Mayans all had developed elaborate systems to represent quantities by the first century a.d. With the invention of writing, it made more sense to use marks pressed into clay or made on paper or papyrus to keep track of one's possessions. Eventually, tokens of different shapes might be used to represent certain multiples, say five or ten sheep instead of one. At first, tokens might be used-pebbles or small clay objects with one pebble representing each sheep in a herd, for example. One of the essential requirements for any type of mathematics is a means of representing quantities. They also allowed more rapid calculation of the mathematical tables needed for surveying, navigation, and the keeping of financial records and thus contributed to the extensive exploration and the growth of capitalism that characterized the Renaissance.
The Hindu-Arabic numerals, as they are now known, greatly facilitated arithmetic computations, particularly multiplication and division.
The system became known in western Europe through the works of Islamic commentators whose works were translated into Latin. The modern system of notation, using ten different numerals including a zero and using position to denote value, appears to be the invention of Hindu mathematicians and astronomers, reaching its present form by the seventh century. The Use of Hindu-Arabic Numerals Aids Mathematicians and Stimulates Commerce Overview
0 kommentar(er)
