2.

1 Numerical History

At first in ancient times many nations settled along the great rivers. The Egyptians
along the Nile in Africa, the Babylonians along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the Hindus
along the Indus and Ganges rivers, the Chinese along the Huang Ho and Yang Tze rivers.
These nations need skills to control floods, drain swamps, make irrigation to cultivate land
along rivers into agricultural areas for which practical knowledge is needed, namely technical
and mathematical knowledge together.

Thousands of years ago, before the cavemen used the ijir method, there were no
numbers to represent "two" or "three". Instead fingers, stones, sticks or eyes are used to
represent numbers. At that time there were no clocks or calendars to help keep track of time,
so the sun and moon were used to distinguish day and night. Ancient civilizations at least had
words for numbers, such as one, two and many. They use terminology familiar to them such
as: flock, sheep, “heap, grain, and many people.

Along with the development of civilization, mathematical knowledge was needed in

engineering science by the peoples who lived along rivers for the purposes of controlling
floods, draining swamps, making irrigation, calculating agricultural products and livestock.
They need math for simple calculations. For this purpose, numbers are needed. The need for
numbers is simple at first but is increasing over time. According to history, when humans
began to recognize writing (historical times) and carry out counting or counting activities,
they were confused about how to give the number symbol. So then a numeration system was
made, namely a system consisting of numerals (symbols of numbers/numbers) and numbers
(numbers).

Some of the concepts used in the numeration system are :

1. Additive Rules.
This rule is obtained from adding up the values of the main symbols without using the
place and value rules of a symbol. The symbol is the same value wherever it is located.
The point is that the value of an object is the same no matter where it is placed
2. Simple grouping rules
If the symbol used has the values n0, n1, n2,… and has an additive rule.
 3. Rules of the place
If the same symbols but different places have different values.
4. Multiplicative Rules
If it has a basis (example b), then it has the symbols of numbers 0,1,2,3,..,b-1 and has
symbols for b2, b3, b4,... and so on.

2.2 Definition of Numerical System

The numeration system is a set of symbols and basic rules for writing numbers.
Symbols that represent a number are called numerals.The number of ethnic groups in the
world causes many different numeration systems. Therefore a number can be represented by
various symbols, but a symbol refers to only one number.

Therefore a number can be represented by various symbols, but a symbol refers to only
one number. This means that in one number it can be stated more than one number, it can be
one, two or three because there are so many opinions about the symbol for that one number.
However, the meaning of all of them is the same even though the symbols they use are
different. The difference between a number and a number symbol (numeral) is similar to the
difference between a person and his name, the difference between an object and the name
given to it, or the difference between an animal and the name of the designated animal.

2.3 Numerical System Type

2.3.1 Ancient Egyptian Numerical System (±3000 SM)

The Ancient Egyptians had known a simple writing instrument resembling paper called
papyrus. They make writing in the form of pictures using a kind of pen with red or
black ink. Ancient Egyptian writing Often called Hieroglyphic writing and this writing
is found in the form of drawings on papyrus or strokes on stone or pieces of wood.
Ancient Egyptian writing is estimated to have developed in 3400 SM. The Ancient
Egyptian Numeral System was additive, where the value of a number was the sum of
the values of its symbols.
The symbols in the Egyptian system can be placed in any order, so to represent the
same number can be written in several ways. In other words, the Egyptian system does
not recognize place values.

The rules for writing the ancient Egyptian numeral system:

a) Not familiar with the zero symbol.

b) Not using the place value system (for free writing).
c) Using an additive system, the value of the number is equal to the sum of the values
of each symbol used and the value of the same symbol is the same even though the
location is different.
d) Using a simple grouping system, ie if the symbols used have values 1,n,n2,n3,….and
are additive. The Ancient Egyptian system has values 1,10,102,103,.. and is additive.

Example :

With this Egyptian system, it is also possible to add up. Figure 3.2 shows the procedure
for finding the sum of two numbers 397 and 3845.