Japanese/Arabic Numerals

[isshinryuronin]

Globalisation of technology, especially in the IT industry necessitated a standardised numerical system. They're also convenient as kanji in more complicated strings of numbers, like phone numbers or address, can lead to confusion.

For example, writing 1,234,567 in kanji (百二十三万四千五百六十七) is lengthy and can be confusing. In contrast, “1,234,567” in Arabic numerals is more concise and reduces ambiguity. The use of Arabic number system immediately, visually, communicates it's a number. The numeral orthography is also simpler.

A lot of these changes, to my knowledge, came out of post-WW2 era.

Perhaps the most basic reason anything is done has to do with money - making it, counting it and manipulating it. I recently read that the oldest known example of writing had to do with an inventory of grain. Money is a primary motivator in society. If something helps improve the bottom line, it will be invented or adopted.

 

[Gyakuto]

Perhaps the most basic reason anything is done has to do with money - making it, counting it and manipulating it. I recently read that the oldest known example of writing had to do with an inventory of grain. Money is a primary motivator in society. If something helps improve the bottom line, it will be invented or adopted.

Yes indeed and the concept of ‘zero’ was invented by Hindu merchants to help them calculate transactions. It amazes me that the Romans achieved so much but didn’t have the zero, the Greek had the concept but didn’t use it in the same way as numbers 1-9!

 

[isshinryuronin]

Romans achieved so much but didn’t have the zero

But they did have a lot of letters to string together. I can't imagine how they multiplied and divided, much less higher sorts of computations. Amazing what the ancients accomplished, making do with whatever systems they had.

 

[Haruhiko]

But they did have a lot of letters to string together. I can't imagine how they multiplied and divided, much less higher sorts of computations. Amazing what the ancients accomplished, making do with whatever systems they had.

The Romans capitalised on Greek abaci educated courtesans, who were usually in positions of servitude to the magistrates and patricians. Also wax tabulae, which were erasable - like proto-Etch-a-Sketches.

Merchants who were educated also used abaci, but funnily enough relied on finger counting using different base-count methodologies.

Rounding was very common, much the same way a butcher will give you "around" 250 grams of meat.

 

[Gyakuto]

But they did have a lot of letters to string together. I can't imagine how they multiplied and divided, much less higher sorts of computations. Amazing what the ancients accomplished, making do with whatever systems they had.

It was complicated!

 

[Gyakuto]

My friend completed his PhD under the supervision of Stephen Hawking - he’s a mathematical whizz. In a particularly boring staff meeting where he was doodling maths I leaned over and whispered to him, “You know, my Indian ancestors invented the ‘zero’”. He whispered back to me, “It’s a shame they didn’t do much with it”! Touché

 

[Haruhiko]

It was complicated!

This is exactly how they used the wax tabulae! Very convoluted to our modern eyes, but hey it worked for the largest empire at the time. "When in Rome"!

Alas we've strayed from our topic...

@isshinryuronin is largely correct in that money and market influenced the Japanese (among other things, like being babysat by the US military) to adopt the Arabic number system.

Japan would not have been a competitor on the economic globe had it not adopted this.

 

[Haruhiko]

China’s quantum computing state is believed to be light years ahead

If only they spent as much time on public infrastructure as they have on Zuchongzhi...