Methodological reflections on typologies for numerical notations

DOI10.1017/S0269889712000038MaRDI QIDQ2894215zbMATH OpenFDO

Authors Theodore Reed Widom, Dirk Schlimm

Publication date 29 June 2012

Published in Science in Context (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://doi.org/10.1017/S0269889712000038

zbMATH Keywords

classificationsnatural numbersnotationstypologies

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Mathematics in general (00A05) History of mathematics and mathematicians (01A99) Natural numbers (educational aspects) (97F30)

Review text

The present paper provides a classification scheme or typologies for 100 distinct systems of notations for representing natural numbers. A general framework for assessing the efficacy of these typologies relative to certain desiderata is presented. This framework is used to discuss the two influential typologies of Zhang \& Norman and Chrisomalis. A new typology is presented that takes as its starting point the principles by which numerical notations represent multipliers and bases. It has been shown by different examples that this new typology provides a more refined classification of numerical notations than the ones put forward previously. Many of the world's numerical notations and their analysis in terms of typology discussed in the present paper are presented in the Appendix.

Recommendations

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Cites work

• An analysis of nonpositional numeral systems
• Fundamental Steps in the Development of Numeration
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• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1468963 (Why is no real title available?)

Cited in

(6)

• Ways of counting in Micronesia
• After Neugebauer: recent developments in Mesopotamian mathematics
• Numerical notation. A comparative history.
• Notations Around the World: Census and Exploitation
• Cultures of computation and quantification in the ancient world: an introduction
• Textual materiality and abstraction in mathematics

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