A need for the numbering system was created when people in the early age started making calculations. Some of these calculations involved how many animals they killed for food, how many items they bartered for other items etc. Thus a simple system of putting notches for each number was initiated which is now commonly known as tally marks. This was the unary system where each item is represented by a single symbol.
However, putting notches for a large frequency of items was difficult to read and count, thus people moved towards creating shortcuts. These shortcuts could be anything from a specific symbol to represent 10 items and another symbol to represent 100 items (DIY Calculator, 2009). This abbreviated numeric system also formed the basis of Egyptian and the Roman system of counting. Although the exact time is unknown when the numeric system really started, evidence points at various incidents during some 30,000 BC when sticks with tally marks have been. (Science Clarified, 2009)
Numbers have been used with bases throughout history. A base 10 system was used when people counted items on their fingers and since most people have 10 fingers, this base 10 system was introduced (DIY Calculator, 2009). The Egyptians introduced the base 12 system where they counted the finger joints. Using the thumb as the pointing device, they counted each finger with three joints thus each hand contained 12 numbers. Using both hands this count could be taken to 24 which In turn was used to divide the day into 24 periods and hence was born our hour system. (Science Clarified, 2009)
The Roman system of creating abbreviations/symbols for numbers gained much popularity due to its flexibility of counting. I represented 1, V represented 5, X represented 10 and so forth. This system was adopted and used in England until the 17th century and many continue to use this system still. (DIY Calculator, 2009)
Another important system was the Base 60 system that we continue to practice today in some fields. This system was used since 60 is the smallest number with which numbers like 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 15, 20 and 30 that can be wholly divided. This special number formed the basis of the hour calculations where each hour has 60 minutes and each minute has 60 seconds. (DIY Calculator, 2009)
The numbering system took a huge modernization leap in the 3000 BC when Indian mathematicians invented the system which we use today as the Arabic-Hindu numbering system. This is a system that runs through 1 to 9 however the importance is given to the placement of numbers. Soon afterwards in around 800 AD, another Indian mathematician invented the number ‘0’ that is considered one of the most important inventions in the field of mathematics. Yet another innovation in the number system was the negative numbers. This system has now been adopted globally and become an international standard. (Science Clarified, 2009)
Works Cited
DIY Calculator (2009). The History of Number Systems. Web.
Science Clarified (2009). Numeration systems. Web.