probably taken from the Brahma-sphuta-siddhanta of Brahmagupta, stood in great authority. They contained the important Hindoo table of sines.
Doubtless at this time, and along with these astronomical tables, the Hindoo numerals, with the zero and the principle of position, were introduced among the Saracens. Before the time of Mohammed the Arabs had no numerals. Numbers were written out in words. Later, the numerous computations connected with the financial administration over the conquered lands made a short symbolism indispensable. In some localities, the numerals of the more civilised conquered nations were used for a time. Thus in Syria, the Greek notation was retained; in Egypt, the Coptic. In some cases, the numeral adjectives may have been abbreviated in writing. The Diwani-numerals, found in an Arabic-Persian dictionary, are supposed to be such abbreviations. Gradually it became the practice to employ the 28 Arabic letters of the alphabet for numerals, in analogy to the Greek system. This notation was in turn superseded by the Hindoo notation, which quite early was adopted by merchants, and also by writers on arithmetic. Its superiority was so universally recognised, that it had no rival, except in astronomy, where the alphabetic notation continued to be used. Here the alphabetic notation offered no great disadvantage, since in the sexagesimal arithmetic, taken from the Almagest, numbers of generally only one or two places had to be written.[7]
As regards the form of the so-called Arabic numerals, the statement of the Arabic writer Albiruni (died 1039), who spent many years in India, is of interest. He says that the shape of the numerals, as also of the letters in India, differed in different localities, and that the Arabs selected from the various forms the most suitable. An Arabian astronomer says there was among people much difference in the use of
