Number Words and Number Symbols A Cultural History of Numbers

by Menninger, Karl

• ISBN13: 9780486270968
• ISBN10: 0486270963
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-11-24
• Publisher: Dover Publications

Summary

Classic study discusses number sequence and number language, then explores written numerals and computations in a wide range of cultures. "The historian of mathematics will find much to interest him here both in the contents and viewpoint, while the casual reader is likely to be intrigued by the author's superior narrative ability."-Library Journal. 282 illus. 1969 edition.

Table of Contents

Preface
List of Phonetic Symbols
Number Sequence and Number Language	p. 1
Introduction	p. 3
The Number Sequence	p. 5
The Abstract Number Sequence	p. 7
The Number Sequence Used Concretely	p. 9
Expansion of the Number Sequence by Means of Supplementary Quantities	p. 33
Principles of the Number Sequence	p. 39
Historical Gradations	p. 56
Laws Governing the Formation of Number Words	p. 71
Our Number Words	p. 87
Indo-European Family Languages	p. 89
The Non-Indo-European Languages	p. 110
The Meaning of Our Number Words	p. 117
Was There a Babylonian Influence on Our Number Sequence?	p. 152
Hidden Number Words	p. 171
The Evolution of the Number Sequence	p. 189
Written Numerals and Computations	p. 193
Preface	p. 195
Introduction	p. 196
Finger Counting	p. 199
Finger Counting	p. 201
Folk Symbols for Numbers	p. 221
Tally Sticks	p. 223
Peasant Numerals	p. 249
Knots Used as Numerals	p. 252
Alphabetical Numerals	p. 257
The Gothic Numerals	p. 259
Letters and Numbers	p. 262
The Two Greek Sets of Numerals	p. 268
Some Other Connections Between Letters and Numbers	p. 275
The "German" Roman Numerals	p. 279
Roman Numerals in Cursive Form	p. 281
The Abacus	p. 295
The Nature of the Counting Board	p. 297
The Counting Board in Ancient Civilizations	p. 299
The Counting Board in the Early Middle Ages	p. 319
The Counting Board in the Later Middle Ages	p. 332
The Counters	p. 375
Our Own Numerals	p. 389
Place-Value Notation	p. 391
The Antecedents of Our Numerals	p. 393
The Westward Migration of the Indian Numerals	p. 400
The Indian Numerals in Western Europe	p. 422
Spoken Numbers and Number Symbols in China and Japan	p. 447
Far Eastern Number Systems	p. 449
Spoken Numbers	p. 450
Index	p. 469
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.