Fw: [INDOLOGY] The decimal system

[Dominik Wujastyk]

There is a substantial specialist literature on the history of numerals,
from Smith and Karpinski<http://books.google.com/books?id=AeXNass2LYoC&lpg=PP1&dq=smith%20karpinski&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false>(1911)
and Florian
Cajori<http://books.google.com/books?id=OQZxHpG2y3UC&lpg=PP1&dq=florian%20cajori&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false>(1929)
through to Georges Ifrah, Victor Katz and Charles Burnett (
2006 <http://www.springerlink.com/content/r234241w114m172g/>).  Some of
this has been mentioned in this forum before, I believe.  It would be best
to refer to that literature before posting further notes on the topic.  The
most pertinent parts of this literature for India have been cited and
discussed by Kim Plofker in her 2009 book Mathematics in
India<http://books.google.com/books?id=6nPfpOIUyAEC&lpg=PP1&dq=plofker&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false>,
especially chapter 3.

Best,
--
Dr Dominik Wujastyk


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