Scribd
Upload
236 views

Egyptian Numbers

The Egyptian numeration system used hieroglyphic symbols to represent numbers and powers of ten. Specific symbols represented 1, 10, 100, 1000, etc. up to 1,000,000. Numbers were written by combining these symbols from largest to smallest value from right to left. Addition and subtraction were performed in a manner similar to modern methods, by combining or removing symbols and regrouping when necessary.

Uploaded by

jan_modaaltje
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
236 views

Egyptian Numbers

The Egyptian numeration system used hieroglyphic symbols to represent numbers and powers of ten. Specific symbols represented 1, 10, 100, 1000, etc. up to 1,000,000. Numbers were written by combining these symbols from largest to smallest value from right to left. Addition and subtraction were performed in a manner similar to modern methods, by combining or removing symbols and regrouping when necessary.

Uploaded by

jan_modaaltje
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

TheEgyptianNumerationSystem

Egyptiannumeralshavebeenfoundonthewritingsonthestonesofmonumentwallsofancient time.Numbershavealsobeenfoundonpottery,limestoneplaques,andonthefragilefibersofthe papyrus.Thelanguageiscomposedofheiroglyphs,pictorialsignsthatrepresentpeople,animals, plants,andnumbers. TheEgyptiansusedawrittennumerationthatwaschangedintohieroglyphicwriting,whichenabled themtonotewholenumbersto1,000,000.Thesystemhadadecimalbaseandallowedforthe additiveprinciple.Inthisnotationtherewasaspecialsignforeverypoweroften.ForI,avertical linefor10,asignwiththeshapeofanupsidedownUfor100,aspiralropefor1000,alotus blossomfor10,000,araisedfinger,slightlybentfor100,000,atadpoleandfor1,000,000,an astonishedmanwithupraisedarms. Decimal Egyptian Number Symbol 1= 10= 100= 1000= 10,000= 100,000= 1,000,000= staff heelbone coilofrope lotusflower pointingfinger tadpole astonishedman

Thishieroglyphicnumerationwasawritten versionofaconcretecountingsystemusingmaterial objects,i.e.,agroupingtallysystem.Torepresentanumber,thesignforeachdecimalorderwas repeatedasmanytimesasnecessary.Tomakeiteasiertoreadtherepeatedsignstheywereplaced in groupsoftwo,three,orfourandarrangedvertically.

Projectnote:TheRhindpapyrusandtheMoscowpapyrusaretwoancientEgyptian documentsthatshowthesolutionstoquiteanumberofmathematicalproblems,some practicalinnatureandsomepurelyinvestigatingthenatureofnumbers.

Example1. ThefollowingchartshowshowsomenumberswouldberepresentedusingEgyptian symbols.

1= 2= 3= 4= 5=

10= 20= 30= 40= 50=

100= 200= 300= 400= 500=

1000= 2000= 3000= 4000= 5000=

Inwritingthenumbers,thelargestdecimalorderwouldbewrittenfirst.Thenumberswerewritten fromrighttoleft. Example2.

46,206=

Belowaresomeexamplesfromtombinscriptions. A B C D

77

700

7000

760,00

AdditionandSubtraction: ThetechniquesusedbytheEgyptiansfortheseareessentiallythe
sameasthoseusedbymodernmathematicianstoday.TheEgyptiansaddedbycombiningsymbols. Theywouldcombinealltheunits( )together,thenallofthetens( )together,thenallofthe hundreds( ),etc.Ifthescribehadmorethantenunits( ),hewouldreplacethosetenunitsby . Hewouldcontinuetodothisuntilthenumberofunitsleftwaslesthanten.Thisprocesswas continuedforthetens,replacingtentenswith ,etc. Forexample,ifthescribewantedtoadd456and265,hisproblemwouldlooklikethis

(=456)

(=265)

Thescribewouldthencombinealllikesymbolstogetsomethinglikethefollowing

Hewouldthenreplacetheelevenunits( )withaunit( )andaten( ).Hewouldthenhaveone unitandtwelvetens.Thetwelvetenswouldbereplacedbytwotensandoneonehundred.Whenhe wasfinishedhewouldhave721,whichhewouldwriteas

. Subtractionwasdonemuchthesamewayaswedoitexceptthatwhenonehastoborrow,itisdone withwritingtensymbolsinsteadofasingleone. Homework: 1.RewritethefollowingnumbersusingEgyptiansymbols: (a)512 (b)9,000,300 (c)4,020

2.Addthegivennumbers,usingEgyptiansymbols.Showtheregroupingstep. 729+486 3.Subtractthegivennumbers,usingEgyptiansymbols.Showtheborrowingstep. 30228

You might also like