Question

Invention of decimal system. History of decimal number system. Who invented the decimal system?

Answer 1

The decimal number system is a positional notation system in which each digit in a number represents a power of 10. For example, in the number 256, the first digit represents 6 ones, the second digit represents 5 tens, and the third digit represents 2 hundreds. This allows us to represent large numbers using only a limited set of symbols (the digits 0 through 9) by assigning each digit a specific value based on its position.

The decimal number system is also known as the base-10 number system, since it uses ten digits to represent all possible values. Other number systems, such as binary (base-2) and hexadecimal (base-16), use different sets of symbols to represent numbers.

History of Decimal Number System:

The origins of the decimal number system can be traced back to ancient India, where it was first used in the 5th century AD. The Indian mathematician Brahmagupta is credited with introducing the concept of zero as a placeholder in the decimal system, which allowed for more efficient arithmetic operations.

The decimal number system was later introduced to the Arab world through trade and scholarship, and it eventually spread to Europe during the Middle Ages. The use of decimal fractions (numbers with a decimal point) became more widespread in the 17th and 18th centuries, thanks to the work of mathematicians such as John Napier and Simon Stevin.

Properties of Decimal Number System:

1. Base-10: The decimal system uses ten digits (0-9) to represent all possible values, making it easy to understand and use.
2. Positional notation: Each digit in a decimal number represents a specific power of 10, which allows for efficient arithmetic operations and easy conversion between different number systems.
3. Decimal point: The decimal point is used to separate the whole number part from the fractional part of a decimal number. This allows for precise representation of non-integer values.
4. Place value: The place value of a digit in a decimal number determines its numerical value. For example, the digit 5 in the number 536 represents 5 tens, or 50.
5. Additive identity: The number 0 serves as the additive identity in the decimal system, meaning that adding 0 to any number does not change its value.