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new heading "Numerals in the Arab World" & References
Westerners such as King John of England learned about Hindu-Arabic numerals as early as A.D. 1200, but there was resistance to converting from the Roman numeral system. It was not until the early 1500s, around the same time as the [[Reformation]], that Hindu-Arabic numerals became widely used in Western Europe.
Westerners such as King John of England learned about Hindu-Arabic numerals as early as A.D. 1200, but there was resistance to converting from the Roman numeral system. It was not until the early 1500s, around the same time as the [[Reformation]], that Hindu-Arabic numerals became widely used in Western Europe.
[[category:mathematics]]
==Numerals in the Arab World==
Despite the name as "Arabic numerals", the numerals used in Arab countries, such as Egypt, are almost entirely different symbols, except for the "1" and "9".<ref name="Apic">
"Numeral pictograms" (of 10 Arab digit symbols), image:
[http://www.arabicnumerals.net/images/numrightleft.jpg ANjpg].
</ref>
In fact, an Arab 5 is designated by "o" which looks like zero, while zero is designated by a heavy dot "•". The basic ten digit symbols are as follows: <ref name=Apic/>
{| cellpadding=0
|
:: Number:
| 0 || 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || (the Arabic numerals)
|-
|
:: Arabic:
|•|| I|| Γ|| Ґ|| <big>ε</big>|| o|| 7|| <small>V</small>|| <big>^</big>|| <font face="Century Gothic, Symbol">9</font> || (numerals in the Arab World)
|}
Note how the Arab 6 looks like a seven ("7"). In typical usage, the Arab numeric symbols are more curved (than shown above), similar to the curvature of letters in the Arabic alphabet.<ref name=Apic/>
Some examples: 6004 = 7 • • <big>ε</big> or year 2010 = Γ • I • . Those numerals are believed to be derived from hand-signing of numbers, such as 5 (symbol "o") being the circle of touching the thumb to the fingertips.<ref name="ANnet">
"Origin of the Arabic Numerals", Adel S. Bishtawi,
[http://www.arabicnumerals.net/chapter_1.html AN-chap1].
</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Mathematics]]