Balance

Numerals – Balance:
• The oldest form of writing
• The small pebbles are engraved with geometry design – creates balance in
the shape/structure
• Counting numbers principle using hand fingers also has balance because we
have the same amount of fingers in both hands and this creates balance in the
human body. However, it didn’t last long because it became unbeneficial with
big numbers.
• Balance existed even in the earliest dates where they used tablets in
Mesopotamia because it showed calculations based on sexagesimal system
(using multiples of 60, which is an even number and balance is easily created
by it). It is still used when calculating, measuring time, and angles.
• The archaic forms of numerical systems are structured according to groups
of ten – The Base Ten (1, 10, 100, 1000, etc.) They can be easily divided
because of the even numbers to create balance in between the groups
• Hebrews and the later Arabs use alphabets and assigning a specific numerical
value for each letter helps create balance in the letterform itself and not seem
wrong
• Abacus or any other counting device is used for big calculations since there
was a problem with all the other systems that no arithmetic calculation could
be done. The abacus creates series of pattern and balance in structure (by
dividing the spheres equally)
• The Indian invention of positional notation revolutionized written numerical
calculation, it is spread widely from Arabs to Westerns – balance in all
nationalities and cultures and spread equally
The Principle of Position:
 Is not constant but varies according to its position in its number (1 = 1
but in 1000 it is equal to one thousand,
 It was easy to memorize and limited to 10
Dynamic Notation of Units:
 The amount of digits can be as big as the size of the number – the larger the
digit the greater the number
The Invention of the zero
 People used positional notation because a symbol was needed to mark an
empty place value.
 Ensuring he correct placement of each digit forms its precise position. The
zero is only needed for the positional notation system

Unbalance:
 Archaic numerical systems were not up to the same level of perfection
compared to our present day system but still showed sophistication