How did the Greeks do divisions with greek numbers?

Question

I mean, greek numbers seams too dificult to do mathematics (algebra).

Answer 1

Greek Numbers and Arithmetic

The earliest numerical notation used by the Greeks was the Attic system. It employed the vertical stroke for a one, and symbols for ``5", ``10", ``100", ``1000", and ``10,000". Though there was some steamlining of its use, these symbols were used in a similar way to the Egyptian system, being that symbols were used repeatedly as needed and the system was non positional. By the Alexandrian Age, the Greek Attic system of enumeration was being replaced by the Ionian or alphabetic numerals. This is the system we discuss.

The (Ionian) Greek system of enumeration was a little more sophisticated than the Egyptian though it was non-positional. Like the Attic and Egyptian systems it was also decimal. Its distinguishing feature is that it was alphabetical and required the use of more than 27 different symbols for numbers plus a couple of other symbols for meaning. This made the system somewhat cumbersome to use. However, calculation lends itself to a great deal of skill within almost any system, the Greek system being no exception.


Greek Enumeration
and
Basic Number Formation

First, we note that the number symbols were the same as the letters of the Greek alphabet.






where three additional characters, the (digamma), the (koppa), and the (sampi) are used. Hence,




Larger Numbers

Larger numbers were also available. The thousands, 1000 to 9000, were represented by placing and apostrophe ' before a unit. Thus



The letter M was used to represent numbers from 10,000 on up. Thus



Alternatively, depending on the history one reads



As should be evident this system does not allow very large numbers to be expressed. Archimedes extended the system in his book The Sand Reckoner where he computed the number of grains of sand to fill the universe (of Aristarchus).

Fractions

The Greeks used fractions, as did earlier civilizations. Their notation, however, was ambiguous and context was crucial for the correct reading a fraction. A diacritical mark was placed after the denominator of the (unit) fraction. So,



but this latter example could also mean .

More complex fractions could be written as well, with context again being important. The numerator was written with an overbar, the denominator with the diacritical mark. Thus,




Numerous, similar, representations also have been used, with increasing sophistication with time. Indeed, Diophantus (who came along very late in Greek mathematics) uses a fractional form identical to ours but with the numerator and denominator in reversed positions.

Calculation

The arithmetic operations are complex in that so many symbols are used. Multiplication was carried out using the distributive law. For example:






Remarkably, division was performed in essentially the same way as we do it today.

Answer 2

the persons who migrated to the U. S. in the 20's-30's-40's have been i think of often from the mainland, often the Peloponnese. The names from there bring about -opoulos. even however, many "americanised" their names in the U. S. by using shortening them, like Papadopoulos became Pappas, Anastopoulos became Aniston (Jennifer's father), Elias Kazantzidis became Elia Kazan, and so on. i do no longer know if it is powerful. I merely got here up with the surname Paris on your hero. it may be short for Paraskevopoulos, an straight forward Greek surname, it refers to Paris, the hero of the Trojan conflict, that's a Greek call, and to Paris the city, and it sounds interesting.

Answer 3

You are looking at it from the wrong point of view. Greeks understand their own language, as Americans understand English. So Greeks would work out their mathematical problems the same way we work ours, they would just use Greek numbers and Greek symbols. We would use English numbers and English letters and symbols. Just because you don't understand their language doesn't mean they don't.

Answer 4

Nammy is partially correct, because the Greeks did use the decimal system. That being the case it doesn't matter what symbols they used to represent numbers the method is the same.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arithmetic

I believe the question you are thinking off is how did the Romans do math... have you ever wondered how did the Romans add? think about it

XXIV + CXVI = what the imagine multiplication!!

aren't you glad that empire died?

24
116 +
___
140

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_arithmetic

Answer 5

Greeks didn't use Roman Numerals...