The system that we use is the Aribic system, sometimes called the Hindu-Arabic. In this system every number can be expressed by ten symbols alone or in combination. The place of the numeral in the number represents it's value. This is unlike most older systems that use numerals for each number and a numeral that follows this to represent it's value.
The origins of the Arabic symbols are unknown but probably come from the Hindu system. The symbols for all the numerals except zero were probably created by the Hindu's as early as 200 B.C. The zero was also developed by the Hindu's but not until 600 A.D.
Before the zero was developed the Hindu system used a word for each power of ten. For example the Hindu number "1 sata, 3 dasan, 5" to represent the number 135. The way that the Hindu's eliminated the words was by inventing the numeral sunya (meaning empty) that we now call zero. With this symbol they could write 105 instead of "1 sata, 5.
Traders and Merchants helped spread the Arabic system across the Mediterranean to Europe. Around 800 A.D. scholars and merchants spread the Hindu system throughout the rest of Europe. When the printing press was developed in the mid-1400's the Hindu system was standardized and used for general purposes.
The concept of place value in the Arabic System is what sets it apart from other systems and makes it easier to use. There are three main catagories that a counting system that can be classified under. The simplest kind is using the same amount of smaller objects as the thing that you are counting. The next kind is a symbol for each basic number (1-9) and a symbol for each place (10, 100, 1000...). The most advanced system which the Arabic is classified under uses the symbols 0-9 where the place of a symbol within a number determines its value.
To express numbers in the Arabic system you need to understand place value. A table follows showing the better known place value for the Arabic system. For larger numbers go to www.mrob.com/largenum.html (to get back to this page press your back button)
| 1 = 10^0 | one |
| 10 = 10^1 | ten |
| 100 = 10^2 | hundred |
| 1,000 = 10^3 | thousand |
| 10,000 = 10^4 | ten thousand |
| 100,000 = 10^5 | hundred thousand |
| 1,000,000 = 10^6 | million |
| 1,000,000,000 = 10^9 | billion |
| 1,000,000,000,000 = 10^12 | trillion |
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