Mathematics in Ancient and Medieval India c5.s6.7

c5.s6.7

(a) *Babylonians* : The Babylonians wrote with stylus on clay tablets the result being wedge-shaped characters. The tablets were then baked in the sun. The numbers were usually expressed with the help of a sexagesimal scale. Practically 59 symbols from one to fifty-nine (made by two basic symbols for one and ten) were used. Whenever a symbol for sixty was required, it was replaced by 1 of the next higher order as follows : 1.10 = 1 × 60 + 10 = 70 2.12 = 2 × 60 + 12 = 132