Numeric notation
Numeric notation is a way of expressing numerical values using a numbering system. Numbering systems can be classified into two types:
- Numeral system, where a set of digits is used to represent numbers using place value notation (for example, the Hindu-Arabic numeral system)
- Algorithmic system, where a set of rules is used to define how numbers are represented (for example, the Roman numeral system)
The Hindu-Arabic numeral system (also called Indo-Arabic numeral system or Arabic numeral system) uses combinations of 10 digits to represent any numerical value. The Hindu-Arabic numeral system is most represented using Arabic numerals (also called Western Arabic numerals or Latin numerals): 0123456789.
Several other sets of digits are used:
| Script | Digits used |
|---|---|
| Latin | 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 |
| Arabic | ٠ ١ ٢ ٣ ٤ ٥ ٦ ٧ ٨ ٩ |
| Bengali–Assamese | ০ ১ ২ ৩ ৪ ৫ ৬ ৭ ৮ ৯ |
| Chakma | 𑄶 𑄷 𑄸 𑄹 𑄺 𑄻 𑄼 𑄽 𑄾 𑄿 |
| Chinese / Japanese | 〇 一 二 三 四 五 六 七 八 九 十… |
| Devanagari | ० १ २ ३ ४ ५ ६ ७ ८ ९ |
| Gujarati | ૦ ૧ ૨ ૩ ૪ ૫ ૬ ૭ ૮ ૯ |
| Gurmukhi | ੦ ੧ ੨ ੩ ੪ ੫ ੬ ੭ ੮ ੯ |
| Hebrew | א ב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט… |
| Javanese | ꧐ ꧑ ꧒ ꧓ ꧔ ꧕ ꧖ ꧗ ꧘ ꧙ |
| Kannada | ೦ ೧ ೨ ೩ ೪ ೫ ೬ ೭ ೮ ೯ |
| Khmer | ០ ១ ២ ៣ ៤ ៥ ៦ ៧ ៨ ៩ |
| Lao | ໐ ໑ ໒ ໓ ໔ ໕ ໖ ໗ ໘ ໙ |
| Malayalam | ൦ ൧ ൨ ൩ ൪ ൫ ൬ ൭ ൮ ൯ |
| Mon–Burmese | ၀ ၁ ၂ ၃ ၄ ၅ ၆ ၇ ၈ ၉ |
| New Tai Lue | ᧐ ᧑ ᧒ ᧓ ᧔ ᧕ ᧖ ᧗ ᧘ ᧙ |
| N’ko | ߀ ߁ ߂ ߃ ߄ ߅ ߆ ߇ ߈ ߉ |
| Odia | ୦ ୧ ୨ ୩ ୪ ୫ ୬ ୭ ୮ ୯ |
| Ol Chiki | ᱐ ᱑ ᱒ ᱓ ᱔ ᱕ ᱖ ᱗ ᱘ ᱙ |
| Tamil | ௦ ௧ ௨ ௩ ௪ ௫ ௬ ௭ ௮ ௯ |
| Telugu | ౦ ౧ ౨ ౩ ౪ ౫ ౬ ౭ ౮ ౯ |
| Thai | ๐ ๑ ๒ ๓ ๔ ๕ ๖ ๗ ๘ ๙ |
| Tibetan | ༠ ༡ ༢ ༣ ༤ ༥ ༦ ༧ ༨ ༩ |
The numeral system and the digits used can depend on the context. For example, in Korea, Arabic numerals are commonly used; however, hanja-eo (Sino-Korean) numbers (일 이 삼 사 오 육 칠 팔 구…) can be used when discussing time and goyu-eo (native Korean) numbers (하나 둘 셋 넷 다섯 여섯 일곱 여덟 아홉…) can be used when counting objects.
An example of an algorithmic system is Roman numerals, where I, V, X, L, C, D, and M, represent 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 respectively.