| Hindu-Arabic numerals had their roots in India before 300 BC. The use of the numerals followed the trade routes to Arabia. The Spanish used Hindu-Arabic symbols as early as the late 900's AD. | |
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Leonardo Fibonacci introduced Hindu-Arabic numerals in 1202 AD in his book Liber Abaci. In some places in Italy it was forbidden to use anything but Roman numerals in the late 1200s and early 1300s. However, at the time of Columbus, most of Europe still used an abacus and Roman numerals. It was not until the 15th century that the European tradesman, merchants, and surveyors began to use Hindu-Arabic numerals. |
| The printing press standardized the way the Hindu-Arabic numerals looked, but it was also an issue of efficiency. It took merchants and bookkeepers much longer to record data using Roman numerals. The Hindu-Arabic numerals made keeping records less time-consuming. | |