<Definition of the decimal system.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/d1/decimals.asp
History
According to this site the Indian culture developed the decimal
system. 5,000 years ago the Mohenjo Daro culture of the Indus valley
was using a form of decimal numbering. By 1500 years ago a decimal
system including the use of zero was in use.
http://www.psinvention.com/zoetic/base10.htm
This site offers a brief history of the decimal system.
Invented in the 4th century BC by the Sumerians of Mesopotamia.
1202 - Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa (Fibonacci), explained
the decimal system in his Book of the Abacus.
1253 - English mathematician, John Halifax tried to promote the
system.
1585 - Simon Stevin, a quartermaster in the Dutch Army, published The
Tenth Way, a book showing how to convert decimal fractions.
1670 - Gabriel Mouton, a theologian and mathematician from Lyon in
France proposed the use of the decimal system, suggesting a standard
linear measurement of a meter (1/10,000,000 of the
http://www.didyouknow.cd/decimal.htm
According to this site the decimal system was developed more than 2000
years ago. Arabs learnt the system after conquering parts of India in
the AD 700’s and were responsible for spreading knowledge of the
system to the Middle East, northern Africa and Spain.
http://members.tripod.com/kangwei1a14/decimal.htm
This site details how the decimal system spread to Europe. It also
gives links to other number systems.
http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~williams/History_web_site/timeline%203000BCE_1500CE/early_europeans.html
This site describes the early number symbols in India.
http://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/university/scit/modules/mm2217/han.htm
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Advantages and disadvantages of the decimal system.
The decimal systems offers a simple method of counting and calculating
for us. Working in a base of ten is compatible with human beings as we
have ten fingers. Fractions can easily be incorporated using a decimal
point and large numbers can be easily accommodated.
However for other applications like computing other number system like
binary numbers and hexadecimals are more useful.
Why decimal.
http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/decimal.htm
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Other counting systems.
Base valued numbers.
http://www.psinvention.com/zoetic/basenumb.htm
History of number systems.
http://www.csc.liv.ac.uk/~ped/teachadmin/histsci/htmlform/lect2.html
Roman numerals and ancient counting systems.
http://www.rocknroll.force9.co.uk/science/roma.html
Number systems used in computing.
http://academic.eng.au.edu/ce1100/Misc%20Save%20Old%20Stuff/1-99/lecture01.htm
Number systems
http://www.ibilce.unesp.br/courseware/datas/numbers.htm
Other counting methods
http://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/university/scit/modules/mm2217/ocm.htm
The abacus
http://ancienthistory.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Ffenris.net%2F%7Elizyoung%2Fabacus.html
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