Why are Arabic numerals called Arabic? The fact is that the numbers from 0 to 9 that we use today were developed from a system known as Arabic-Hindu numbers, so named because of its development from a number of different Middle Eastern and Indian language systems.
Initially, they arose from Brahmi and Sanskrit, developing into forms of eastern and western Arab origin, and have been used in Europe since about the eleventh century. So, how are Arabic numerals written, what is the history of their origin, and thanks to whom do we actively use them in everyday life? Find out in the article!
House of Wisdom and Greek Translation
Initially, Europeans of the Middle Ages attributed this digital system completely to Arabs, although we now know that this is far from the case. The reason for this lies in the fact that it seemed to European scientists and historians that they came from a specific source - the House of Wisdom in Baghdad.
This training center was created by the ruler al-Mamun in the eighth century AD and was comparable to the great training centers in Alexandria in ancient Greece.
Moreover, this school was associated with the translation of mathematical and philosophical texts that were available in other languages of that time. Among the translated texts were the great works of the Indian mathematician Brahmagupt and the texts of such famous Greek thinkers as Aristotle and Euclid.
Translation of the writings of Euclid, written about 300 BC. e., was especially important for modern mathematics. Some of his texts, such as the “Department of Figures,” were not preserved in the original Greek language. So, if not for the then Baghdad translation movement, we could lose the most important mathematical work.
The most important of the works of Euclid was the book "Elements", which today can be considered the most important mathematical textbook that has ever been compiled. In it, the author clearly outlined all the most complex mathematical ideas of those times, which is what ensured the durability of his work.
Al-Howarism and the development of algebra
The main reason why Arabic numbers are called Arabic is the fact that the most important mathematician who worked in Baghdad was a man named al-Khawarism, who died in 850 AD. e. Largely thanks to his books, the Arab-Hindu system of numbers began to be regarded as an exclusively Arab invention. In fact, the numbers from 0 to 9 have been known for some time under the name “algorithmism”, which comes from the name of al-Khovarism and, of course, is closely related to the term “algorithm”, which is used to indicate a sequence of actions when solving certain mathematical problems. This is why the numbers are called Arabic.
Arabic numerals in Europe
The three personalities that helped popularize the use of Arabic numerals in Europe were Frenchman Alexander de Villier, an English school teacher named John Halifax, and Italian Leonardo from Pisa, who today is known as Fibonacci, was the son of a merchant. He traveled extensively in Egypt, Syria and Greece. His father appointed him a Muslim teacher, and as a result, he became well versed in the Arabic numeral system and the works of al-Khawarism and his predecessors. This largely explains why Arabic numbers are called Arabic.
He is known today for his treatise on algebraic methods. It is of incredible importance to us today, because with its help Fibonacci showed European mathematicians why using the Arabic numeral system from 0 to 9 was useful; he used simple numbers to solve incredibly complex mathematical problems at that time.
How to write Arabic numbers
The secret why Arabic numerals have become so popular is that the number of angles counted by the number corresponds to the number. Thus, zero has no angles. The unit is formed due to one corner, the two have two angles. Three, if you look at the original spelling, is quite logical - three angles. This rule also works for all remaining digits. Of course, as Arabic numerals spread throughout Europe, their spelling slightly changed, and the sharp corners took a milder form. And the reason why the Arabic numerals are called Arabic is because it was the Arabs who became the ones who developed their spelling.
Just think, only 10 digits, and yet the whole modern world is on them!