The Ultimate System
The system we use today originated in India (~2000 years ago). It combined the best features of previous systems:
- Base-10: Intuitive (10 fingers).
- Positional: Unending numbers with few symbols.
- Zero (): A true number, not just a placeholder.
Evolution of Digits
- Brahmi Numerals: Ancestors of 1-9.
- Gwalior Inscription: Early written zero.
- Journey: India Arabia (Al-Khwarizmi) Europe (Fibonacci).
The Power of Zero
In ancient India, zero was defined as a number that results from subtracting a number from itself (). Mathematicians like Aryabhata and Brahmagupta defined rules for calculating with zero, creating a complete arithmetic system.
Tip
Why is it called Hindu-Arabic? Europeans learned the system from Arab mathematicians, so they called them “Arabic numerals.” Arabs called them “Hindu numerals” because they learned them from India. Today, it is properly called the Hindu Number System.