All people from early childhood are familiar with the numbers by which objects are counted. There are only ten of them: from 0 to 9. Therefore, the system of calculation is called decimal. With the help of them, you can record absolutely any number.
For millennia, people have used their fingers to indicate numbers. Today, the decimal system is used everywhere: to measure time, when selling and buying something, with various calculations. Each person has his own numbers, for example, in a passport, on a credit card.
By milestones of history
People are so used to numbers that they don’t even think about their importance in life. Probably many have heard that the numbers that are used are called Arabic. They explained this to some at school, while others found out by chance. So why are the numbers called Arabic? What is their story?
And she is very confused. There are no reliably accurate facts about their origin. It is known for sure that the ancient astronomers should be thanked. Because of them and their calculations, people today have numbers. Somewhere between the 2nd and 6th centuries, astronomers from India got acquainted with the knowledge of their Greek counterparts. From there the hexadecimal number system and round zero were taken. Then the Greek was combined with the Chinese decimal system. Hindus began to designate numbers with one sign, and their method quickly scattered throughout Europe.
Why are the numbers called Arabic?
From the eighth to the thirteenth century, eastern civilization was actively developing. This was especially noticeable in the field of science. Great attention was paid to mathematics, astronomy. That is, accuracy was held in high esteem. Throughout the Middle East, the city of Baghdad was considered the main center of science and culture. And all because he was geographically very profitable. The Arabs did not hesitate to take advantage of this and actively adopted a lot of useful things from Asia and Europe. Baghdad often gathered prominent scientists from these continents, who shared experience and knowledge with each other, talked about their discoveries. At the same time, Indians and Chinese used their number systems, which consisted of only ten characters.
Arabic numbers were not invented by Arabs at all. They simply praised their advantages, compared with the Roman and Greek systems, which were considered the most advanced in the world at that time. But it is much more convenient to display infinitely large numbers with only ten characters. The main advantage of Arabic numerals is not ease of writing, but the system itself, since it is positional. That is, the position of the number affects the value of the number. So people define units, tens, hundreds, thousands and so on. It is not surprising that the Europeans took it into service and adopted the Arabic numerals. This is what wise scientists were in the East! Today it seems very surprising.
Spelling
What do arabic numbers look like? Previously, they were composed of steep lines, where the number of angles was compared with the size of the sign. Most likely, Arab mathematicians expressed the idea that it is possible to connect the number of angles with the numerical value of a digit. If you look at the ancient spelling, you can see how large are the Arabic numerals. What kind of abilities did scientists have in such an ancient time?
So, zero has no angles in writing. The unit includes only one acute angle. Two contains a pair of sharp corners. Three has three angles. Its correct Arabic spelling is obtained by drawing a zip code on envelopes. The four includes four corners, the last of which creates a ponytail. The five have five right angles, and the six, respectively, have six. With the correct old spelling, the seven consists of seven angles. Eight - out of eight. And nine, it’s easy to guess, out of nine. That's why the numbers are called Arabic: they invented the original style.
Hypotheses
Today there is no unequivocal opinion about the formation of the writing of Arabic numbers. No scientist knows why certain numbers look that way, and not somehow differently. What guided the ancient scientists, giving the numbers a form? One of the most plausible hypotheses is the one with the number of angles.
Of course, over time, all angles of the numbers were smoothed out, they gradually acquired the appearance familiar to a modern person. And for a huge number of years, Arabic numerals around the world have been used to indicate numbers. Surprisingly, with just ten characters, unimaginably large values can be conveyed.
Summary
Another answer to the question of why the numbers are called Arabic is the fact that the word "digit" itself is also of Arabic origin. Mathematicians translated the word of the Hindus “Sunya” into their native language and the result was “cipher”, which is already similar to what is spoken today.
That's all that is known about why the numbers are called Arabic. Perhaps modern scientists will still make any discoveries on this subject and shed light on their occurrence. In the meantime, people are content only with this information.