Numbers
The history of numbers is a long and complex one, with different cultures and civilizations developing their own systems of numeration at different times. Here are a few key milestones in the history of numbers:
The earliest known system of numeration is the tally system, which likely originated around 30,000 BCE. This system used simple marks or notches to represent numbers, and was used by early human societies for counting and keeping track of possessions.
The ancient Sumerians, who lived in present-day Iraq around 4000 BCE, developed a system of numeration using base 60 (sexagesimal) which was used for measuring time and angles.
The ancient Egyptians developed a hieroglyphic system of numeration around 3000 BCE, which used symbols to represent numbers up to 1,000.
The ancient Greeks developed a system of numeration using letters of the alphabet to represent numbers, which was known as the Greek numeral system.
The ancient Romans developed a system of numeration using letters of the alphabet to represent numbers, which was known as the Roman numeral system.
The Indian mathematician Pingala developed the binary numeral system around the 2nd century BCE.
In the 7th century CE, the Indian mathematician Brahmagupta developed the concept of zero as a placeholder in positional numeration systems.
In the 9th century CE, the Persian mathematician Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi introduced the Arabic numerals (0-9) to the Western world through his book "Al-Kitab al-mukhtasar fi hisab al-jabr wa’l-muqabala" (The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing).
In the 16th century CE, the German mathematician and astronomer Johann Widman published the first printed book using the Arabic numerals, which was called "Behend und hubsch ziffern" (Nice and Handsome Numbers).
The invention of the decimal system by Simon Stevin in 1585 CE, marked a major step forward in the development of modern numeration systems.
This is a brief history of numbers and dates may vary depending on the source.