The Number Concept: Its Origin and Development (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

Levi Leonard Conant

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0266284388 ISBN 13: 9780266284383

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2017

Synopsis

Unearth the roots of counting and numbers across the world — a thorough historical study that traces how the idea of number emerged and evolved in diverse cultures.

This edition presents a careful look at early counting, numeral systems, and the foundations of arithmetic, drawing on original and reliable sources to map how humans came to represent one, two, and beyond.

This book surveys how different peoples described quantity, from binary and quinary bases to decimal and vigesimal systems. It includes cross-cultural examples from Australia, the Americas, and other regions, exploring how language, culture, and daily life shaped numerical concepts. The discussion blends philosophical questions with practical analysis, offering context for how numbers entered human thought and how mathematicians view their origin.

• Traces the origin of number concepts and how early languages expressed quantity
• Examines diverse numeral systems, including binary, quinary, and vigesimal bases
• Synthesizes cross-cultural evidence with contemporary scholarly discussion
• Highlights the challenges in pinpointing a single origin for counting

Ideal for readers interested in the history of mathematics, linguistic development, and the ways cultures conceive numbers.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0266284388
• ISBN 13: 9780266284383
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 233