Page:A History of Mathematics (1893).djvu/32

 Some particulars about Egyptian geometry can be mentioned more advantageously in connection with the early Greek mathematicians who came to the Egyptian priests for instruction.

An insight into Egyptian methods of numeration was obtained through the ingenious deciphering of the hieroglyphics by Champollion, Young, and their successors. The symbols used were the following: for 1,  for 10,  for 100,  for 1000,  for 10,000,  for 100,000,  for 1,000,000,  for 10,000,000.[3] The symbol for 1 represents a vertical staff; that for 10,000 a pointing finger; that for 100,000 a ; that for 1,000,000, a man in astonishment. The significance of the remaining symbols is very doubtful. The writing of numbers with these hieroglyphics was very cumbrous. The unit symbol of each order was repeated as many times as there were units in that order. The principle employed was the additive. Thus, 23 was written

Besides the hieroglyphics, Egypt possesses the hieratic and demotic writings, but for want of space we pass them by.

Herodotus makes an important statement concerning the mode of computing among the Egyptians. He says that they "calculate with pebbles by moving the hand from right to left, while the Hellenes move it from left to right." Herein we recognise again that instrumental method of figuring so extensively used by peoples of antiquity. The Egyptians used the decimal scale. Since, in figuring, they moved their hands horizontally, it seems probable that they used ciphering-boards with vertical columns. In each column there must have been not more than nine pebbles, for ten pebbles would be equal to one pebble in the column next to the left.

The Ahmes papyrus contains interesting information on the way in which the Egyptians employed fractions. Their