Математика. Числительные. Аристова В.М. - 5 стр.

                             Mathematics — математика
                             Numerals — числительные
    Nowadays there exist two systems of numeration: the Roman's numerals based on
the counting and widely used the Arabic numerals founded on the angles presented in
each number:




    The origin of our modern decimal or base 10- number system can be traced to an-
cient Egyptian, Babylonian (Sumerian) and Chinese roots.
    Base 60- number system also goes back to the Babylon of ancient times. The
traces of it can be found in dividing an hour and a degree (градус) into 60 minutes and
in a minute — into 60 seconds.
   In the ancient Rus the numbers were represented by letters from Slav alphabet,
simple letters being used for small numbers (А — 1; В — 2 etc) and the letters with
special signs (titles) above were used for greater quantitives:

•
А — 100,
_
А — 10000.

    Since the Dark Ages Roman's numerals were used in Europe and Russia for count-
ing decimal digits: I - 1, X - 10, C - 100, M - 1000 and their halves: V - 5, L - 50, D -
500.
    Since the 9th century AD alphabetic letters also served (and serve now) in mathe-
matics as numerals, Latin and Greek letters being most frequently used. Latin and
Greek letters in mathematics are the same in different languages as international signs,
but they are read differently in different languages.
    If they are used in English they must be read as the English people used to read
them.
    In Russian these letters are pronounced as in Latin, but in English they have their
English pronunciation because of the similarity of English and Latin alphabets.

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