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Arabic Numerals In The Age Of The Islamic Golden Age

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The Islamic Golden Age introduced lots of innovative thought into the world, and eventually those ideas made their way into Europe, one of which was the Arabic numerals. Medieval European society was changed by the introduction of the Arabic numerals into their society because these numbers revolutionized the way that daily tasks, like merchant bookkeeping, and academia were approached. Medieval European understanding of mathematics, physical sciences, and accounting was transformed by the translation of texts into Latin, allowing Arabic numerals to become the primary numeric system and therefore easing the burdens of daily life in academia and bookkeeping. Arabic numerals arose from the transferring of ideas from Hindu scholarship into Islamic caliphates of the Golden Age, and from there, into European culture. One thing from Indian culture that transcended into Islamic culture was the concept of zero. This was something that was not considered in earlier mathematic studies. It reads in "Math Roots: Zero: A Special Case," "the Arabs recognized the value of the Hindu system, adapted the numerals and computation, and spread the ideas in their travels." The Arabic people saw the power in this numbering system because there …show more content…

It was able to simplify accounting and also give rise to more mathematically based fields of study like geometry and physics. The Islamic Golden Age influenced the influx of translations to Latin and allowed people the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of mathematics and the physical sciences. Arabic numerals were able to transform Medieval society and further increase the connection of people across the world. The world, including business and academia, would not be the same today if it were not for the adoption of Arabic numerals into the cultures of the Medieval

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