How Arab People Shaped the Numeral System
By: Emily Devereaux/Arab America Contributing Writer
The numbering system in Arabic writing looks different than the English writing system, but they are actually the same! The Hindu-Arabic system is the root of many other numeral systems throughout the world. In this system, there are ten digits, including a zero. Arabic numerals are the most widespread numeral system throughout the world. Many different cultures adopted this numbering system because the digits implied the presence of a decimal.
Hindu-Arabic Numerals
Mathematicians in India developed the Hindu-Arabic numeral system circa 700 AD. However, there were multiple forms of numerals in use in India. This likely confused people and inhibited the spread of this numeral system. Per Al-Beruni, who was a scholar in Iran, Arab mathematicians chose among these many numerals which ones appeared most useful. Even by the early eleventh century, mathematicians had not agreed on the form of numerals. Many scholars still chose to train with the Eastern Arabic numerals. Eastern Arabic refers to the standard numerals used in the Arabic language today.
Arabic numerals were developed in Northern Africa, and Fibonacci, who was an Italian mathematician, was visiting the city of Bejaia. Here, he would encounter the numerals for the first time and then help spread this numeral system throughout Europe. Upon its arrival in Europe, many scholars jumped on this numeral system. Treatises and books were written. Many authority figures disseminated this system. Arabic words are read from right to left, but numbers are read from left to right. Europeans call this system “Arabic numerals”—this is because Arabic speakers in Europe introduced the system.
Significance of DecimalsÂ
The Hindu-Arabic numeral system was groundbreaking because it introduced the concept of decimals. The digit for zero was not present in other numeral systems. Therefore, zero implied the presence of decimals. Decimals are used frequently and are necessary for weight and money. Decimals are important to precision. Therefore, this was an advanced idea at the time that revolutionized mathematics.
Spread of the Hindu-Arabic System
Many scholars were immediately interested in this breakthrough like Fibonacci was. Quickly, the numeral system began to spread. The “Gerbertian abacus” created in the late tenth century. This device used to compute some math problems and contributed to the spread of the Hindu-Arabic numeral system, as it employed these numbers.
At this time, India and Arab countries were fostering progression in mathematics. Arab people wrote mathematical rules and European scholars translated these works. This marked the divergence of the Hindu-Arabic numerals toward the Latin translations. Many cultures and languages followed the same structure and principles as the Indo-Arab numeral system but translated the numerals into their own language.
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