Since the beginning of civilization, man has found himself in need of count things. Cultures around the world developed their own number systems This article explores the main numerical systems of antiquity and how they evolved into the system we use today.
The first numbering systems
Around the 7.000 BC, in the region of ancient Egypt, numerical systems were already used, based on hieroglyphic ideograms whose function was to facilitate state administration, tax calculation and the construction of temples. This system was decimal and additive, grouping elements in 10s and assigning specific symbols to each set. Mathematics was vital to trade and everyday activities.
The Sumerians, who inhabited the region of Mesopotamia around 4.000 BC, developed another advanced numbering system centered on the base sexagesimal, with a positional system. This method, which had a base 60, is the precursor to how we measure time today (hours, minutes, seconds). Its numbering was complex and gave rise to a large number of numerals.
Number systems in other civilizations
- The Greeks: They initially used a non-positional system based on the alphabet; however, this proved to be inflexible in mathematical terms.
- The Romans: Its numbering system, known as Roman numerals, is one of the best known. It was an additive system that represented quantities using letters, but it was not positional.
- The Chinese: They developed a decimal and multiplicative system that began to be used around 1500 BC, with ideograms that represented tens, hundreds and thousands, which made it easier for them to record large quantities.
In addition to the Chinese and the Romans, other civilizations such as the Incas used unique number systems. The Inca system was based on the khipus, knotted strings that represented decimal figures, with which they counted and stored information, especially economic records.
The Mayans and their vigesimal system
El mayan empire developed between 400 and 300 BC a numbering system positional vigesimal, considered one of the most advanced of antiquity, not only for its precision, but for the inclusion of the number zero in their arithmetic, something that Europeans did not adopt until many centuries later. They used bars and dots to represent numbers, which allowed them to obtain figures between 1 and 19 easily.
The Mayans based their numeration on the number 20, and combined the numbers 1 to 19 with a positional system that allowed them to represent large quantities efficiently. This system had applications in astronomy, as they were able to make extremely precise calculations about the position of the sun and other stars.
The numerical legacy of the Hindus
La hindu culture He went a step further by developing a decimal and positional system, which is the basis of the numbering we use today. In India, around the 5 BC, a system of numerical notation was introduced in which the value of a figure depended on its relative position. But without a doubt, his greatest mathematical contribution was the invention of the number zero, initially called Zunya, meaning 'empty'. This invention made it easier to represent numbers such as 36, 360 or 3006, avoiding the serious errors that were previously made by leaving blank spaces.
The number system in Europe and its worldwide spread
The Hindu decimal system, wrongly known as Arabic numeral system, was introduced into Europe by the ArabsIn the 10th century, the Muslims occupying southern Spain brought this system to the European continent, where it gradually replaced Roman numerals due to its simplicity and ability to perform more complex calculations. Although it was initially resisted by some sectors of European society due to its foreign origin, its practical advantages made it prevail over time.
He was the Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa, better known as Fibonacci, who popularized this system through his work 'Liber Abaci'. Since then, this system has established itself as the predominant method of numbering throughout the world and remains the basis for how we perform mathematical operations today.
The evolution of number systems is a testament to the human need to classify, sort and calculate, creating tools that have allowed us to achieve impressive achievements in different fields. Thanks to the invention of the zero and positional number bases, our civilizations have been able to progress technologically.