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 numerals, so named because of its development from a number of different Middle Eastern and Indian language systems.
They originated from Brahmi and Sanskrit, developing into forms of Eastern and Western Arabic 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
Originally the Europeans of the Middle Ages attributed this digital system entirely to the Arabs, although we now know that this is far from the case. The reason for this lies in the fact that European scientists and historians seemed to come from a particularsource - the House of Wisdom in Baghdad.
This center of learning was established by the ruler al-Ma'mun in the eighth century AD and was comparable to the great centers of learning 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 the time. Among the translated texts were the great works of the Indian mathematician Brahmagupta and the texts of such famous Greek thinkers as Aristotle and Euclid.
Translation of the writings of Euclid, written around 300 BC. e., was especially important for modern mathematics. Some of his texts, such as the "Department of Figures", did not survive in the original Greek. So, if not for the then Baghdad translation movement, we could have lost the most important mathematical works.
Euclid's most important work was the Elements, which today can be considered the most important mathematical textbook ever compiled. In it, the author clearly outlined all the most complex mathematical ideas of those times, which ensured the durability of his work.
Al-Khovarism and the development of algebra
The main reason why Arabic numerals are called Arabic numerals is the fact that the most important mathematician working in Baghdad was a man named al-Khowarizm who died in 850 CE. e. Largely due to his books, the Arabic-Hindu numeral system began to be regarded as exclusivelyArabic invention. In fact, the numbers from 0 to 9 were known for some time under the name "algorism", which comes from the name of al-Khowarism and, of course, is closely related to the term "algorithm", which is used to denote a sequence of actions in solving certain mathematical problems. That is why the numbers are called Arabic.
Arabic numerals in Europe
Three personalities who contributed to the popularization of the use of Arabic numerals in Europe were the Frenchman Alexander de Villiers, the English schoolteacher named John Halifax and the Italian Leonardo of 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 as a Muslim teacher, and as a result he became well versed in the system of Arabic numerals and the works of al-Khowarism and its predecessors. This largely explains why Arabic numerals are called Arabic.
He is known today for his treatise on algebraic methods. It is of incredible importance to us today because with it Fibonacci showed European mathematicians why the use of the Arabic numeral system from 0 to 9 was useful; he used simple numbers to solve incredibly complex mathematical problems at the time.
How Arabic numerals are written
The secret why Arabic numerals have become so popular is that the number of angles that a digit has is equal to the number. Thus zero has no corners. The unit is formed due to one corner, the deuce has two corners. The triple, if you look at the original spelling, is quite logical - three corners. This rule also works for all remaining digits. Of course, as Arabic numerals spread across Europe, their spelling changed slightly, and sharp corners took on a softer form. And the reason why Arabic numerals are called Arabic is that it was the Arabs who developed their spelling.
Just think, only 10 digits, but the whole modern world stands on them!
