In ancient China, notation was also attached great importance. The oldest notation was found in Oracle Bone Inscriptions and Zhong Ding, but it was difficult to write and recognize, so it was not used by later generations. By the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, production had developed rapidly. To meet this need, our ancestors created a very important calculation method-calculation. The chips used in the calculation are bamboo sticks, and
there are also bones. Arranged in the specified order of length, it can be used for counting and calculating. With the popularization of calculation, the arrangement of calculation and preparation has become a symbol of counting. There are two types of calculation and arrangement, horizontal and vertical, both of which can represent the same number.
From the fact that there is no "1" in the calculation code, it can be clearly seen that the calculation strictly follows the decimal system from the beginning. Numbers with more than 9 digits will enter one digit. The same number is hundreds in the hundreds and tens of thousands in the tens of thousands. This calculation method was very advanced at that time. Because the decimal system was really used in other parts of the world by the end of the 6th century.
however, there is no "zero" at the beginning of the calculation, and there is a vacancy when it meets "zero". For example, "678" can be expressed as "┴ ╥". There is no "zero" in the number, so it is easy to make mistakes.
so later, someone put the copper coins in the empty space to avoid mistakes, which may be related to the appearance of "zero". However, most people believe that the invention of the mathematical symbol "" should be attributed to Indians in the 6th century. They first used a black dot () to indicate zero, and then it gradually became "". Speaking of the appearance of "zero", it should be pointed out that the word "zero" appeared very early in ancient Chinese characters. But at that time, it didn't mean "nothing", but only "piecemeal" and "not much". Such as "odd", "sporadic" and "odd". "One hundred and five" means:
Besides one hundred, there is a fraction of five. With the introduction of Arabic numerals. "15" is just pronounced as "15", and the word "zero" corresponds to "", so "zero" has the meaning of "".
Extended information
In the 7th century AD, Arabs United under Islam conquered the surrounding ethnic groups and established the Sarasun Empire, which started from India in the east and went from Africa to Spain in the west. Later, this great Islamic empire split into two countries, East and West.
Because all the kings of these two countries encouraged culture and art, the capitals of the two countries are very prosperous, especially Baghdad, the eastern capital, which produced a unique Arabic culture.
In 751 AD, an Indian astronomer visited the palace in Baghdad. He brought an astronomical watch made in India and presented it to the king at that time.
It was at this time that Indian numerals and Indian-style calculation methods (that is, the calculation method we are using now) were introduced to Arabs. Because Indian numerals and Indian calculation method are simple and convenient, their advantages far exceed other calculation methods, so they are quickly spread widely by Arabs to European countries. This is why the numbers produced in India are called "Arabic numerals".