NUMERATION SYSTEMS

BASE-TEN DECIMAL SYSTEM

To begin comparing number systems, let us start with a review of the base-ten decimal system. Base-
ten numbers are written using ten symbols which, like fingers, are called digits: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,
and 9. Base-ten is a positional system in that the location relative to the decimal point indicates the
power of ten represented by each digit, as illustrated below.

' '
For example, 328.15 represents 3 100 + 2 10 + 8 1 + 1 +5 . When it is necessary to specify
'( '((
that a number is written in base-ten, a subscript 10 is used, for example, 125.23'( .

The base-ten digits have long been known as Arabic numerals or Hindu-Arabic numerals.

TALLY MARKS

• A tally is a mark that represents the object being counted

• Early forms of tallying used scratches on the ground or cave walls, knots on ropes or vines,
piles of pebbles or sticks and notches on pieces of bone or wood
• The number 1 is represented by a vertical line and every successive number is represented
by an additional vertical line
• The system was improved by separating the marks into groups of five

EGYPTIAN NUMERAL HIEROGLYPHS

• No more than 9 of any symbol would ever be needed in a number


ROMAN NUMERALS

• Essentially the same as the Egyptian one except

that there were more symbols and the largest
ones appeared on the left
• If I comes before V or X, then it subtracts 1 from
the number
• If X comes before L or C, then it subtracts 10 from
the number
• If C comes before D or M, then it subtracts 100
from the number
• To represent larger numbers, bars could be
placed over some numerals and each bar
represented multiplication by 1,000

BABYLONIAN NUMERATION

• Uses two cuneiform symbols

• Groups of numerals separated by
a space signify that each group
belongs to different place values
• The place values from right to
left are 60( , 60' , 60- = 3600,
60/ = 216000, etc.
• There was no zero in the
Babylonian system, so they
would leave a gap to indicate
when a place was empty
• There was no decimal point, so
there was no way to be sure what
each place represented
• It was assumed that a reader
would have some idea as to the
scale of the thing being
measured
• The use of space for zero causes
ambiguity and was resolved by
deleting absolutely the space
between two cuneiforms

MAYAN NUMERATION SYSTEM

• The place values are 1, 20, 18×20 = 360,

18×20- = 7200, etc
• The numbers are written vertically with the
lowest place value at the bottom

MULTIPLICATION METHODS

1. Egyptian Method

• Write 1 on the left column and the second number on the right
• Double the numbers on both sides
• Keep doing this until you can find numbers on the left which add up to the first number
• The product is the sum of the numbers opposite that of the left which add up to the first number

2. Russian Peasant Multiplication

• Halve the number on the left and double the number on the right
• Continue with the process and discard remainders
• Do this until you get 1 on the left
• The product is the sum of the numbers opposite the odd numbers on the left

3. Lattice Method

The lattice method is an alternative to long multiplication for numbers. In this approach,
a lattice is first constructed, sized to fit the numbers being multiplied. If we are multiplying an
m-digit number by an n-digit number, the size of the lattice is 𝑚×𝑛. The multiplicand is placed
along the top of the lattice so that each digit is the header for one column of cells (the most
significant digit is put at the left). The multiplier is placed along the right side of the lattice so that
each digit is a (trailing) header for one row of cells (the most significant digit is put at the top).

Illustrated below is the lattice

configuration for computing 948 and
827.

Calculate a product for each cell by multiplying the digit at the
top of the column and the digit at the right of the row. The tens
digit of the product is placed above the diagonal that passes
through the cell, and the units digit is put below that diagonal.
If the product is less than 10, we enter a zero above the
diagonal.

Now we are ready to calculate the digits of the product. We sum

the numbers between every pair of diagonals and also between
the first (and last) diagonal and the corresponding corner of the
lattice. We start at the bottom half of the lower right corner cell
(6). This number is bounded by the corner of the lattice and the
first diagonal. Since this is the only number below this
diagonal, the first sum is 6. We place the sum along the bottom
of the lattice below the rightmost column.

Next we add the numbers between the previous diagonal and

the next higher diagonal: 6 + 5 + 8 = 19. We place the 9 just
below the bottom of the lattice and carry the 1 into the sum for
the next diagonal group. (The diagonals are extended for
clarity.)

Continue adding the groups of numbers between adjacent diagonals, and also between the top
diagonal and the upper left corner. The final product is composed of the digits outside the lattice
which were just calculated. We read the digits down the left side and then towards the right on
the bottom to generate the final answer: 783996.

Although the process at first glance appears quite different from long multiplication, the lattice
method is actually algorithmically equivalent.

Reference:
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/LatticeMethod.html
Schaum’s Outline Mathematics for Liberal Arts Majors
Mathematics in our World by Dave Sobecki

ACTIVITY 01

Tally Marks

1. Write the numbers (a) 8, (b) 12, (c) 15 and (d) 23 with both kinds of tally marks

2. Convert the numbers below into base ten.

Egyptian Numbers

1. Use the ancient Egyptian numbering system to write (a) 8, (b) 35, (c) 460 (d) 1,225,

' ' '

(e) 6,341,281, (f) (g) , (h)
/ '-6 '(((

2. Translate the following to base ten.

Babylonian Numbers

1. Use the Babylonian number system to write the numbers (a) 34, (b) 256, (c) 5,300 and

(d)1,000,000

2. Convert each of the following numbers into base ten.


Roman Numerals

1. Convert the following numbers to base ten.

(a) XXXIII
(b) IV
(c) CCXCV
(d) MMMCDLVIII
(e) CMXCIX
(f) 𝑉CCLXXX
(g) 𝐼𝑉𝑋𝐶𝑉𝐼
(h) 𝐷𝐶𝐶𝐶𝑋𝑋𝐼𝑋𝐶𝐶𝑋𝐿𝐷𝐶𝐶𝐿𝐼𝐼

2. Write the following numbers using Roman number system

(a) 300
(b) 54
(c) 2,007
(d) 479
(e) 1,982
(f) 15,291
(g) 10,480
(h) 89,360,219

Mayan Numeration System

1. Write the following in Mayan symbols

a. 34,876
b. 245, 913