Numeral
A numeral is a singular symbol used to indicate a countable number. The name is derived from the Arabic word sifr, meaning zero or empty. The Western numerals of the decimal system are:
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0
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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8
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9
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History
Arabic numerals originated in India from the Brahmin script. The scholars who wrote their works in Arabic adopted them from there. One of them was the Persian astronomer and mathematician Muhammed ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (about 780 – about 850), the founder of algebra, a field of study that takes its name from Khwarizmi's famous book Hisab al-jabr wa al-muqabala.
Western numerals originated in North Africa. They came to Europe with the conquest of the Iberian peninsula by the Moors. Arabic numerals were initially declared sinful and their use forbidden by the Church. They were not widely accepted until the early 16th century, with the discovery of printing. Before that, Roman numerals were used:
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Related concepts
| Last modified: | 04 September 2024 1.12 p.m. |