Why do people in Europe refer to them as "Arabic numerals" when they were invented in India? How could ten tiny symbols conquer the world? And how did zero change the course of history?
The Western world calls them "Arabic numerals," while in the Arab world, today's European notation is thought of as being Western. What is "Arabic" about the symbols that traveled from India to Europe and on to the rest of the world?
Following the trail of our numbers leads us to Baghdad. There, in the eighth century, a scholar named al-Khwarizmi — Latinized as "Algorismi," later to be found in the word "algorithm" — helped spread Indian numerals. He would become known as the father of modern algebra. The "Arabic" numerals commonly used in Europe today derive from another variant, known as "Ghubar" — Arabic for "dust." That had emerged from the so-called "dust tables" used by Maghrebi merchants around the Mediterranean.
From Europe to America, and from the dawn of modern science to the computer age — the fascinating history of these ten small digits is enmeshed with the stories of the people who invented, spread, adopted, imposed and scrutinized them. Little by little, they have permeated every area of our lives. With the computer, numbers became the code of the modern age — and the only truly universal language.
#documentary #dwdocumentary #dwdocs #numbers #science
______
DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events. Subscribe and explore the world around you with DW Documentary.
Subscribe to: ‬
⮞ DW Documentary (English): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDocumentary
⮞ DW Documental (Spanish): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDocumental
⮞ DW Documentary وثائقية دي دبليو (Arabic): https://www.youtube.com/@dwdocarabia
⮞ DW Documentary हिन्दी (Hindi): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDochindi
⮞ DW Dokumenter (Indonesian): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDokumenter
⮞ DW Doku (German): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDoku
For more visit: http://www.dw.com/en/tv/docfilm/s-3610
Follow DW Documentary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwdocumentary/
Follow DW Documental on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dwdocumental
We kindly ask viewers to read and stick to the DW netiquette policy on our channel: https://p.dw.com/p/MF1G