How did numbers and the numerical system get to be where they are today? With just these ten symbols, we can write out any rational number that you can think of. Explore this site to figure out how we got to these particular symbols, why there are ten of them, and so much more.
Numbers have been around for as long as recorded history. The ten symbols we use today however, have evolved over time.
Early humans counted animals in a flock or the number of members in a tribe using body parts or tally marks on the ground or carved into walls.
As the complexity of life increased, so did numbers, and they have transitioned into the number symbols we know and are familiar with today.
Different civilizations came up with different ways to record their numerical information. Greek, Hebrew and Egyptian numerals were just extensions of the basic tally mark. New symbols were added to account for larger numbers. Roman numerals were slightly different, but still cumbersome for writing long numbers.
Positional notation is a much more elegant system. It uses the same symbols but with different values depending on their position in a sequence.
The symbol for zero is such an important addition to the system. Before there was a symbol for it, a blank space was used in its place. This would create confusion from telling between numbers like 63 and 603.
Instead, the symbol for zero represents both a value and a placeholder. This made for a more advance, reliable, and consistent notation.
The base ten system is a positional notation system which can represent all numbers using only ten unique glyphs. The positions of the symbols is what indicates different powers of ten, starting on the right and increasing to the left.
The most likely reason for why base 10 was used so widely, is also the most obvious. We have ten fingers to count on. The Aztecs even used a base 20 system, which allowed for counting on fingers and toes. Other base systems are still used today too, like base 12 for time and base 2 for computers and digital devices.
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