Numbers persecuted man anywhere.Even our body is in tune with their world - we have a certain number of bodies, teeth, hair and skin cells.The score was habitual, automatic action, so it is difficult to imagine that at one time people did not know numbers.In fact, the history of occurrence of numbers can be traced to ancient times.
numbers and primitive people
At some point, people felt a greater need for credit.On this
he pushed his own life.It was necessary to somehow organize the tribe, going on hunting or gathering, only a certain number of people.Therefore, the account used fingers.There are still families that instead of the number "5" show the one hand, and instead of ten - two.With such a simple algorithm accounts and began to develop the history of occurrence of numbers.
To calculate 40 deer, primitive man had only to call a fellow tribesman.But this number system becomes extremely difficult, if it was a large number of subjects or animals.Therefore, before the rise of the numbers widespread nicks on walls, rocks, or other objects.Sometimes they get too long and cumbersome, which prompted a new idea - think of the characters, each of whom is responsible for a certain amount of something.
numbers and antiquity
The occurrence happened at the numbers of each ethnic group in a special way.Thus, the ancient Mayan people used the drawings terrible goals instead of the usual numbers to our eyes.
It is considered that the creation of familiar figures - the merit of the Arabs.The word "figure" has come to us in the language from the Arabic "syfr" (literally "empty space").Treatises of numbers in Europe were translated it from Arabic, but they only served as a widespread dissemination of the decimal number system.
true homeland was the usual numbering India.On the whole territory of the country it has been extended a number of different variations of record numbers, but at some point, stood out from the crowd one that we use to this day.The numbers were exactly the same kind as the first letters of their names in Sanskrit.Subsequently, to indicate an empty discharge, entered a point or a circle of fat, better known to us as "zero".It was then turned into number system to decimal.Since then, the story goes back occurrence of natural numbers.
Primes
History of numbers allows to notice that people long ago discovered the difference between odd and even numbers, and the various relationships within them numeric expressions.The considerable contribution to these
study made by the ancient Greeks.For example, the Greek scholar Eratosthenes made a pretty easy way to find prime numbers.For this, he wrote the right number of digits in order, and then began to strike out - first of all, that can be divided into two, then - three.The result was a list of numbers that no matter what do not share, except unit and himself.This method was called the "Sieve of Eratosthenes" due to the fact that the Greeks are not crossed out and put out the unnecessary number of the plates coated with wax.
Thus, the history of numbers - the phenomenon is ancient and profound.Scientists estimate that it dates back about 30 thousand years ago.During this time in the life of a man has managed to change a lot.But the magic of this day directs our existence.
