In addition, the quip was used to do fast mathematical computations (Zavlatsky 154). These were the darkest region, which represented the highest numbers, the lighter part representing the second-highest levels, while the white parts represented the stones compartments (Havil 127). The counting boards were painted with three different color levels. The Incas used the “quip,” which helped the pre-historical people in recording their items in their daily life. The counting of Boards was widely used by the Incas for record-keeping. Furthermore, the written words used by the ancient people like notches on wood carvings, stones carvings, and knots for counting gave a solid base for the evolution of counting. One hundred is derived from the word “ten times” (Ifrah and Bello, 147). In addition, thirteen was traced from three and four from fourteen, and the pattern continued to nineteen. Twelve developed from the lif, which meant “two leftovers” (Higgins143). For instance, eleven evolved from ein lifon, which was used to mean ‘one left’ over by the prehistoric people. Fortunately, any pattern of numbers past ten is recognizable and easily traceable.
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However, the pattern of numbers from one to ten has been difficult to trace. Moreover, the development of numbers evolved from spoken words by the pre-historical people. The bones and woods were marked, as shown below. The mathematical history evolved from the marking of rows on bones, tallying, and pattern recognition, which led to the introduction of numbers. The collection and allocation of sticks to count the animals helped in the determination of the total number of animals present. In addition, Menninger asserts that the daily activities of the pre-historical people like cattle keeping and barter trade led to the need for counting and value determination (105).įor instance, in order to count cows, prehistoric people used sticks. The need for counting developed from the fact that people needed a way of counting groups of individuals through population increase by birth. Moreover, the need for simple counting by ancient people in history developed odd or even, more or less, and other forms of number systems that evolved to the current counting systems. Even though the assumption of numbers based its arguments on archeological evidence about 50,000 years ago, the counting system developed its background from the ancient recognition of more and less during routines activities (Higgins 87). The need for counting arose from the fact that the ancient people recognized the measurements in terms of more or less. Moreover, the paper will outline the reasons why Western counting systems are widely used contemporarily. This paper will highlight the evolution history of counting by the Egyptians/Babylonians, the Romans, Hindu-Arabic, and the Mayans’ counting systems. The history of mathematics in counting started with the ideas of the formulation of measurement methods, which were used by the Babylonians and Egyptians, the introduction of the pattern recognition in number counting in pre-historical time, the organization concepts of different shapes, sizes, and numbers by the pre-historical people, and the natural phenomenon observance and universe behaviors. The developmental history of counting is based on the mathematical evolution, which is believed to have been in existence before the counting systems of numbers started (Zavlatsky 124).
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The evolution of numbers developed differently with disparate versions, which include the Egyptian, Babylonians, Hindu-Arabic, Mayans, Romans, and the modern American number systems. Learn More History of Numbers: Essay Introduction