Hindu-Arabic numerals
Also called: Arabic numerals · Topic: Gupta Empire and the Classical Age · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 3 "Empires and Kingdoms: 6th to 10th Centuries"
Meaning
Hindu-Arabic numerals are the digits 0 to 9 used across the world today. They belong to the decimal place-value system that developed in India. In this system, the value of a digit depends on its place, and zero marks an empty place. Arab scholars in Baghdad learnt this system from translated Sanskrit works and spread it widely from the 9th century onwards. Through the Arabs it reached Europe, where people called the digits "Arabic numerals". This makes it one of India's biggest gifts to world science.
Example
In the early 9th century CE, the Baghdad scholar al-Khwarizmi wrote a book explaining calculation with Indian numerals. Later, in 1202, the Italian mathematician Fibonacci spread this system in Europe through his book Liber Abaci.
Don't confuse with
- Roman numerals (I, V, X): these have no zero and no place value. This makes large sums very hard to work out.
Related concepts
- Aryabhata
- Aryabhatiya
- Bakhshali manuscript
- Surya Siddhanta
- Varahamihira
- Bhaskara I
- Virahanka
- Kalidasa
- Abhijnanashakuntalam
- Meghaduta