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Research & Reviews: Discrete Mathematical Structures

Origin of Modern Mathematical Numeral – 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9: the Hindu-Indian-Brahmagubta, The Islamo-Arabic or the West?

  1. Auwalu Musa

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine, analyze and ascertain the root of the modern mathematical numeral system between the Indian-Hindu Brahmagubta, Islamo-Arabic and the Western numeral systems. The paper utilized secondary source of data. The methodology adopted by the paper is content analysis. The findings of the paper revealed that the origin of the shapes of our ten modern numerals do not concern the Indian mathematics history, as Hindus do not have full-fledged mathematical numeral system before the development of Arabic Numerals between 8th-15th Centuries. The character of Hindu-Indian numerals in whatever form and categories it belongs- Brahmagubta or anyone else, does not have any genealogical affiliations to the present modern mathematical numeral versions, as well the same thing applies to the Western mathematical systems. The paper argued that, the root/origin of the modern Arabic numeral is traced to its original and independent Arabic character versions, which transmuted from one stage to another with some state of galvanization - from Abjadi, Mashriki to Ghubari. The paper argued that apart from the non-reliability of the thesis of disparity in characters or shapes of the Arabic numerals compare to that of the Hindu-Indian Brahmagubta, there is also that of philosophical caricature fiction of genealogical linkage as well as the phonological misplacement of language or terms. The paper also argued that during the Golden-Age of Islam between 7th and 15th centuries, European arithmeticians especially in the eleventh, twelfth and part of thirteenth centuries, knew nothing about Arabic numerals; it was incredibly absent, they knew only the use of antiquated Roman numerals and Abacus in counting. In that regard, the Arabic numeral symbols (or system) were developed by Islamo-Arabic mathematicians, learned by Indians and some Europeans who cares about knowledge. In the east, the numeral system attracted the Indian mathematicians, while in Europe, the numeral system was first employed in Italy, then later France for practical purposes after the translation of the work of Al-Khwarizmi Mohammed Ibn Musa (Latin Algorithm) in 12th century into Latin by Gerard of Cremona, also known as Leonardo Fibonacci.

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