The Chinese used two number systems — a
written system for recording quantities, and a system making use of rods for
performing computations. The numerals in the rod-based number system are called
rod numerals.
The second dominant form of enumeration
dates from around 300 BC and was in wide use by 300 AD. In Chinese number
system, numbers were denoted by patterns known as zongs and hengs:
zongs represent units, 100’s, 10000’s, etc., while hengs were for
10’s, 1000’s, 100000’s, etc.
The hengs represent units such as tens, thousands,
hundreds of thousands, etc., and the zongs represent units such as
hundreds, tens of thousands, millions, etc.
The first row below represents the hengs and the
one below represents the zongs.
The
Chinese used rods as symbols and for performing computations. This was
developed by at least 3rd century AD and was used till the 17th
century. Like the Mesopotamian number system, blanks were used to indicate
skipping of place value.
However, because of the slightly more uniform sizes of the symbols for one
through nine, the blank spaces were easier to locate than in the Mesopotamian
system.
Notice how similar the rod numerals are to the Hindu system. The Chinese
system, with a symbol for zero, would be a fully developed place value system.
A numeral
is to
be read as 3 × 103 + 7 × 102 + 2 × 10 + 3 × 1 = 3723.
Again,
the number 2634 can be represented in Chinese number system as follows:
2634 = 2 ×
103 + 6 × 102 + 3 × 10 + 4 × 1
Exercise
1. Using zongs
and zengs as symbols, express the following.
a. 6 × 103 + 2 × 102 + 7 × 10
+ 8 × 1
b. 7 × 104 + 3 × 103 + 2 × 102
+ 3 × 10 + 5
2. Express the Chinese rod symbols as Indian numerals.
