Our ancestors used different kinds of symbols to mean different things. Some of those symbols were used to represent message and some were used to count things. The symbols which were used to count things entered into mathematics after a long phase of change. the symbols which transferred message entered the domain of language used to express what a person speaks. Language also went many phases of change. Here we are talking about numbers. So let us concentrate more on it. The most common number of symbols used in any language for the representation of numbers is 10. Maya civilization used 20 symbols. Actually they were not 20 but the representation was for 20. The use of ten symbols can be attributed due to the numbers of fingers in someone's hand. Many systems existed but the system which was adopted by most of the countries today is Decimal Number System.
With the advent of technology other number systems came into being. Some were used to simplify the task of the representation of older systems. The number of symbols used in a number system is called its base or radix of the number system. Let us look at the most important number systems used today
Decimal Number System
The Decimal Number System uses 10 symbols. Its base is 10. They are 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9. It is known as Hindu-Arabic System as it was developed in India and modified in Arab. The system initially does not had a zero in it. All the multiples of ten used different symbols. After a lot of time zero was used in representation of the multiples of ten.
Binary Number System
Binary Number System is used in computers. It has two symbols 0 and 1. Its base is 2. Some kind of binary logic was used by Egyptians in the process to find multiplication and division.
Octal Number System
Octal Number System is also used in computers but only as representation and simplification of binary numbers. There are 8 symbols used in Octal Number System. They are 0,1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7. Its base is 8.
Hexadecimal Number System
Hexadecimal Number System has sixteen symbols. The use of hexadecimal number system is similar to octal number system. The symbols used are 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E and F. The letters used are due to the scarcity of symbols. Its base is 16.
With the advent of technology other number systems came into being. Some were used to simplify the task of the representation of older systems. The number of symbols used in a number system is called its base or radix of the number system. Let us look at the most important number systems used today
Decimal Number System
The Decimal Number System uses 10 symbols. Its base is 10. They are 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9. It is known as Hindu-Arabic System as it was developed in India and modified in Arab. The system initially does not had a zero in it. All the multiples of ten used different symbols. After a lot of time zero was used in representation of the multiples of ten.
Binary Number System
Binary Number System is used in computers. It has two symbols 0 and 1. Its base is 2. Some kind of binary logic was used by Egyptians in the process to find multiplication and division.
Octal Number System
Octal Number System is also used in computers but only as representation and simplification of binary numbers. There are 8 symbols used in Octal Number System. They are 0,1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7. Its base is 8.
Hexadecimal Number System
Hexadecimal Number System has sixteen symbols. The use of hexadecimal number system is similar to octal number system. The symbols used are 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E and F. The letters used are due to the scarcity of symbols. Its base is 16.
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