Ancient Advances In Mathematics

Want to read the rest of this paper? Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay and over 50,000 other term papers

is simply a modern form of the Teutonic ein-lifon.
Since those first sounds were created, man has only added five new basic
number-sounds to the ten primary ones. They are “hundred,” “thousand,” “
million,” “billion” (a thousand millions in America, a million millions in
England), “trillion” (a million millions in America, a million-million millions
in England). Because primitive man invented the same number of number-sounds as
he had fingers, our number system is a decimal one, or a scale based on ten,
consisting of limitless repetitions of the first ten number sounds.
Undoubtedly, if nature had given man thirteen fingers instead of ten,
our number system would be much changed. For instance, with a base thirteen
number system we would call fifteen, two-thirteen's. While some intelligent and
well-schooled scholars might argue whether or not base ten is the most adequate
number system, base ten is the irreversible favorite among all the nations.
Of course, primitive man ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays. Write better papers. Get better grades. Already a member? Login

of area of simple geometric figures' surfaces and
volumes, simple solutions for first and second degree equations.
Egyptians used a base ten number system most likely because of biologic
reasons (ten fingers as explained above). They used the Natural Numbers
(1,2,3,4,5,6, etc.) also known as the counting numbers. The word digit, which
is Latin for finger, is also another name for numbers which explains the
influence of fingers upon numbers once again.
The Egyptians produced a more complex system then the tally system for
recording amounts. Hieroglyphs stood for groups of tens, hundreds, and
thousands. The higher powers of ten made it much easier for the Egyptians to
calculate into ...

Succeed in your coursework without stepping into a library. Get access to a growing library of notes, book reports, and research papers in 2 minutes or less.

CITE THIS PAGE: