LeSellers Posted May 9, 2016 Report Posted May 9, 2016 1 hour ago, mordorbund said: "IV" would be Roman numerals. "fourth" is American. What kind of numeral is "4"? You're kidding, right? This year is the 2016th of the era. But we write it using cardinal numbers, irrespective of the fact that an ordinal would be more correct. Lehi Quote
LeSellers Posted May 9, 2016 Report Posted May 9, 2016 (edited) 1 hour ago, zil said: We call them that, but it's not how they're written in Arabic script: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_alphabet#Numerals I learned the Arabic script forms when I was in high school (and have some Kuwaiti coins with these numbers on them), but I've long since forgotten and must resort to the fount of all knowledge (Wikipedia). The ten digits we use today, and erroneously call "Arabic", came from India, and are more properly called Hindu, or, for some, Hindu-Arabic. The Arabs did not invent them. The original form had the same number of acute or right angles as the character represented. For instance, the digit "1" still has one acute angle. "2" looked like "Z" with two angles, etc. "0", of course, has no angles. Lehi Edited May 9, 2016 by LeSellers Quote
prisonchaplain Posted May 9, 2016 Report Posted May 9, 2016 8 hours ago, Carborendum said: Can people really not tell the difference between differential equations (or calculus) and Arabic? Uh...errr...cough..., so, you do see why God called me to theology, rather than some numbers-based profession, right??? :-) Quote
prisonchaplain Posted May 9, 2016 Report Posted May 9, 2016 7 hours ago, NightSG said: Especially people who can't tell the difference between a busy Italian and an Arab with something to hide. I'm still waiting for the explanation . . . :-) Quote
Vort Posted May 10, 2016 Report Posted May 10, 2016 The humor-challenge is strong today. mordorbund and Just_A_Guy 2 Quote
Guest Posted May 10, 2016 Report Posted May 10, 2016 13 hours ago, LeSellers said: You're kidding, right? This year is the 2016th of the era. But we write it using cardinal numbers, irrespective of the fact that an ordinal would be more correct. Lehi Yes, he was kidding. Dad, please put your "dad joke" hat on. Quote
Guest Posted May 10, 2016 Report Posted May 10, 2016 (edited) 15 hours ago, mordorbund said: He CLAIMS to be Italian, but those numerals sure don't look Roman to me!! In fact, would one of you math people care to classify the 2.3.4 at the start? CLASSIC!!! Eerrmm, your honor, I believe they can be called Hindu/Indian numerals since they include decimals. Edited May 10, 2016 by Guest Quote
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