Re: Fear not, my friend
From: Herman Rubin (hrubin_at_odds.stat.purdue.edu)
Date: 07/01/04
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Date: 1 Jul 2004 12:30:06 -0500
In article <200407011354.i61DsET00637@proapp.mathforum.org>,
Israeli guy <anonymous@mathforum.org> wrote:
>On 30 Jun 2004, Craig Feinstein wrote:
>>Some people consider Roman Numerals to be inferior to normal Arabic
>>numerals, but I disagree. The reason that I disagree is because Arabic
>>numerals are a falsehood, since they use zero as a digit and there is
>>no such thing as zero. Has anyone ever observed zero? Of course not,
>>because zero does not exist!
>>If we abolish zero from mathematics, then we would be a much better
>>off. The number zero makes people sad, because it reminds them of
>>death. So I am starting a petition to President Bush to ban the number
>>zero and go back to the old way of Roman Numerals. If you agree, then
>>please sign it and forward it to our great leader. If everyone signs
>>this petition and emails it to at least 5 friends, then together we
>>can change the world!
.....................
>The notions of zero and of the algorithm are the only good ones the arabs produced in the
>last millennia. Now if they suddenly developed brains, and stopped dedicating their efforts
>to the glorious task of destroying Israel that would be a one hell of a conspiracy to worry
>from. I say : lets go back to trading camels !
>Now if you'll excuse me I have to go ride my IV by IV
>Israeli guy.
Neither of these are due to the Arabs. The use of the
same symbols in each place, including a symbol for zero,
goes back to the Sumerians more than 4000 years ago.
Many believe that this got to India from Babylonia,
and they adopted the idea for base 10. The Arabs only
used a version of the Indian numerals.
As for algorithms, they also go back to Babylonian and
Egyptian times. The general word now used is the Arabic
for "the one from Khweresm", slightly modified, this
person being a Persian, and who spread the ideas of the
Greek mathematician Diophantes.
-- This address is for information only. I do not claim that these views are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University. Herman Rubin, Department of Statistics, Purdue University hrubin@stat.purdue.edu Phone: (765)494-6054 FAX: (765)494-0558
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