Editing Ethnomathematics (section)

====Numerals====

Some of the systems for representing numbers in previous and present cultures are well known. [[Roman numerals]] use a few letters of the alphabet to represent numbers up to the thousands, but are not intended for arbitrarily large numbers and can only represent positive [[integers]]. [[Arabic numerals]] are a family of systems, originating in India and passing to [[Islamic Golden Age|medieval Islamic civilization]], then to Europe, and now standard in global culture—and having undergone many curious changes with time and geography—can represent arbitrarily large numbers and have been adapted to negative numbers, [[fractions]], and [[real numbers]].

Less well known systems include some that are written and can be read today, such as the [[Hebrew numerals|Hebrew]] and [[Greek numerals|Greek]] method of using the letters of the [[alphabet]], in order, for digits 1–9, tens 10–90, and hundreds 100–900.

A completely different system is that of the [[quipu]], which recorded numbers on knotted strings.

Ethnomathematicians are interested in the ways in which numeration systems grew up, as well as their similarities and differences and the reasons for them.  The great variety in ways of representing numbers is especially intriguing.