History of Hindu Mathematics: A Source Book v1.c7.s7.29

v1.c7.s7.29

The above theories like the one examined before are not well founded. Tables II (*a*), (*b*), (*c*), show the Hieratic and Demotic symbols together with those of the Brâhmî. An examination of the Tables will reveal that out of the nineteen symbols to represent the numbers from 1 to 100, only the nine of the Brâhmî resembles the corresponding symbol of the Demotic or the Hieratic. There is absolutely no resemblance between any of the others. To base the derivation on a resemblance between the Hieratic 5 and the Brâhmî 7, as is sought to be done, is absurd It will be observed that in the Hieratic system the sign for one thousand is not used in the formation of the other thousands. The similarity in principle, even if it were complete, would not force us to conclude that one of these nations copied the other. The use of nineteen signs afforded the easiest and probably the best method of denoting numbers. It is not beyond the limits of probability that what appeared easy to the Egyptians might have also independently occurred to the Hindus.