The decimal notation system includes two principles: decimal and decimal. Decimal stands for full decimal. Bit value means that the same number represents different values in different positions, such as three numbers 1 1, where 1 on the right represents 1 one in one bit and1in the middle represents1one in ten bits. This makes the extremely difficult integer representation and calculation so simple and easy, but when representing ten, each bit needs a sign zero to occupy a position; Only in this way can the symbol of 1 represent 10, otherwise the numbers will be easily confused. So that people often ignore its key role in the development of mathematics.

According to archaeological findings, the decimal system was invented by China people in 1400 BC, that is, in the middle of Shang Dynasty, that is to say, the decimal system was not invented when the Shang Dynasty was overthrown and established in Tang Dynasty. BC 1400. It's 3400 now.

At the latest in Shang Dynasty, China had adopted the decimal system. It can be seen from the Wen Tao and Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Shang Dynasty that we were able to record any natural number within 100,000 with thirteen numbers, such as one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, hundred, thousand and ten thousand. Although the shapes of these numbers have changed in later generations and become the current writing methods, the notation has never been interrupted and has been used and improved day by day.

Decimal notation is the most advanced and scientific notation in the ancient world, which plays an inestimable role in the development of world science and culture. As Joseph Needham said, "Without this decimal system, it is impossible to have our unified world now." A batch of pottery was unearthed in F90 1 room in the late Yangshao period in Dadiwan, mainly including four pieces of clay trough-shaped slats, long-handled ear-twisting shovels with fine sand, clay single-ring ear dustpan and mud-covered deep-belly cans. The volume of the strip disk is about 264.3 cubic centimeters; The natural texture volume of shovel paper is about 2650.7 cubic centimeters; The natural texture volume of basket paper is about 5288.4 cubic centimeters; The volume of the four deep belly tanks is about 26082.438+0 cubic centimeters. It can be seen that, except that the dustpan copy is twice as much as the shovel copy, the relationship between the other three pieces is ten times increasing. The discovery of these weights and measures also provides very valuable physical data for studying the origin of China's ancient decimal system. Although the notation of ancient Babylon had the significance of value system, it used hexadecimal and the calculation was very complicated.

Mozi also discussed the decimal system around 400 BC. China widely used decimal notation as early as Shang Dynasty, and Mozi was the first scientist to summarize and expound the concept of value system. He clearly pointed out that different digits have different values. For example, on the same number, one is less than five, while on different numbers, one can be greater than five. This is because in the same number (unit, tens, hundreds, thousands, etc.), five contains one, and when one is in a higher number, it in turn contains the invention of decimal, which is a great contribution of China to world civilization. As Needham said in the Mathematical Volume of the History of Science and Technology in China, "The number system of Shang Dynasty is more advanced and scientific than that of ancient Babylon and ancient Egypt at the same time", "Without this decimal system, it is almost impossible to have our unified world now".