Around 500 AD, with the rise and development of economy, culture and Buddhism, Punjab in the northwest of Indian subcontinent has been in a leading position in mathematics. Astronomer Ayepihite made a new breakthrough in simplifying numbers: he recorded the numbers with a grid. If there is a symbol in the first grid, such as a point representing 1, then the same point in the second grid represents ten, and the point in the third grid represents one hundred. In this way, not only the digital symbols themselves, but also their position order is of great significance. Later, Indian scholars introduced the symbol zero. It can be said that these symbols and representations are the old ancestors of Arabic numerals today.

In 77 1 year, mathematicians from northern India were captured in Baghdad, Arabia, and forced to teach local people new mathematical symbols and systems, as well as Indian-style calculation methods (that is, the calculation methods we use now). Because Indian numerals and Indian counting methods are simple and convenient, their advantages far exceed other calculation methods. Arab scholars are willing to learn these advanced knowledge, and businessmen are willing to do business in this way.

Later, Arabs introduced this figure to Spain. In 10 century, it was spread to other European countries by Pope Gelber Auriac. Around 1200, European scholars formally adopted these symbols and systems. In the13rd century, at the initiative of Fibonacci, a mathematician in Pisa, Italy, ordinary Europeans also began to adopt Arabic numerals, which was quite common in the15th century. At that time, the shape of Arabic numerals was not exactly the same as that of modern Arabic numerals, but they were relatively close. Many mathematicians have spent a lot of effort to make them become the writing methods of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0 today.

Arabic numerals originated in India, but spread to all directions through Arabs, which is why they were later called Arabic numerals.