Numbers Are One Of Two Creations (The Other Being The Alphabet) Of The Human Spirit Which Have Given Us Today S World. The Three Volumes Of The Universal History Of Numbers Are Probably The First Comprehensive History Of Numbers And Of Counting From Prehistory To The Modern Age. They Are Also The Story Of How The Human Race Has Learnt To Think Logically. In Volume 1, Georges Ifrah Leads The Reader Through The Whole Art And Science Of Numeration As It Has Developed All Over The World, From The Court Sages Of Mesopotamia And Egypt To The Priests And Astronomers Who Perfected The Mayan Calendar. We Meet Those Who Count To Four Anything More Is Lots ; We Discover The First Use Of Fingers And Toes For Counting; We Follow The Sequence Of Trial And Error That Chose A Number Of Bases For Counting Until Base 10, The Metric System, Was Put In Place. In The Far East They Perfected Many Centuries Ago A Method Of Counting With The Abacus That Remains Astonishing In Its Speed And Sophistication. Yet It Still Begs The Intriguing Question: How Did They Manage For All Those Hundreds Of Years Without The Zero? Amazing, Captivating And Enriching, The Universal History Of Numbers Is A Must Read Not Only For Specialists And Academics, But Also For The Average Reader Who Is Interested In The Development Of Civilization.

First published in France in 1994. Part one of the original edition published in 1998.

"Georges Ifrah is the man. This book, quite simply, rules. . . . It is outstanding . . . a mind-boggling and enriching experience." –The Guardian (London) "Monumental. . . . a fascinating journey taking us through many different cultures."–The Times (London)"Ifrah’s book amazes and fascinates by the scope of its scholarship. It is nothing less than the history of the human race told through figures." –International Herald Tribune Now in paperback, here is Georges Ifrah’s landmark international bestseller–the first complete, universal study of the invention and evolution of numbers the world over. A riveting history of counting and calculating, from the time of the cave dwellers to the twentieth century, this fascinating volume brings numbers to thrilling life, explaining their development in human terms, the intriguing situations that made them necessary, and the brilliant achievements in human thought that they made possible. It takes us through the numbers story from Europe to China, via ancient Greece and Rome, Mesopotamia, Latin America, India, and the Arabic countries. Exploring the many ways civilizations developed and changed their mathematical systems, Ifrah imparts a unique insight into the nature of human thought–and into how our understanding of numbers and the ways they shape our lives have changed and grown over thousands of years. "Dazzling."–Kirkus Reviews "Sure to transfix readers."–PublishersWeekly

Numbers Are One Of Two Creations (The Other Being The Alphabet) Of The Human Spirit Which Have Given Us Today S World. The Three Volumes Of The Universal History Of Numbers Are Probably The First Comprehensive History Of Numbers And Of Counting From Prehistory To The Modern Age. They Are Also The Story Of How The Human Race Has Learnt To Think Logically. In Volume 2, Georges Ifrah Continues The Story Of The Invention Of The Modern Number-System By Telling Us How Indian Civilization Became The Cradle Of Modern Numerals With The Invention Of The Place Value System And Of Zero. Twenty-One Geographically Different Indian Numerical Notations Of The Nine Numerals And The Zero Are Explained Individually With Illustrations. A Detailed Dictionary Of Indian Numerical Symbols, Recorded Alphabetically, Gives The Reader A Better Idea Of The Subtle And Complicated World Of Numbers Which Derived From The Genius Of Indian Mathematicians Working In The Late Middle Ages. It Was Arab Scholars Who Brought The System To The West. If Western Mathematical Progress Today Looks Dazzling, It Is Because It Stands On A Solid Non-Western Foundation. Amazing, Captivating And Enriching, The Universal History Of Numbers Is A Must Read Not Only For Specialists And Academics, But Also For The Average Reader Who Is Interested In The Development Of Civilization.

Learn the history of number systems with this engaging book! This text combines mathematics and literacy skills, and uses practical, real-world examples of problem solving to teach math and language arts content. Students will learn place value while reading about the number systems of the Egyptians and Romans, and also learn important vocabulary terms like cuneiform, binary systems, roman numerals, and more! The full-color images, math charts, and practice problems make learning math easy and fun. The table of contents, glossary, and index will further understanding of math and reading concepts. The Math Talk problems and Explore Math sidebars provide additional learning opportunities while developing students’ higher-order thinking skills.

"Traces the development of numerical systems in Sumerian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Chinese, Babylonian, and Mayan cultures, and examines the origins of the Hindu-Arabic numerals we use today"--Back cover.