Why are there only ten numerals (nine and zero)?

Question

In our numeration system why do we only have numerals from zero - nine?

Answer 1

That's because we are operating in base 10, which requires only 10 numerals. If we were like computers and worked in binary, we'd only need 2 numerals, 0 and 1. If you wanted more numerals, you could switch to using something else, but my bet would be it couldn't be fun trying to do all your calculations in base 17 just to get an answer no one else would understand.

Answer 2

Acutually there are only two numerals. 1 & 0. But computation with two numerals will become very difficult for ordinary people. Therefore we have chosen ten numerals for ease of calculation.
But from history it is known that there were systems based on 12 nemerals and even 60 numerals. in each case they have tweleve or sixty different symbols to represent each respectively (but they didn't have zero {0}). In our system, we represent the the binaries with the follwing symbols
0 = 0
1 = 1
10 = 2
11 = 3
100 = 4
101 = 5
110 = 6
111 = 7
1000 = 8
1001 = 9

But there is no limit really. You can have 16 numerals as in the hexa decimal system(computers use these because of a grouping advantage) , or only 8 numerals and in the octa decimal systems.

Truly speaking, a base of twleve (12 numerals) would have benifitted the humanity better than the current system. There are a lot of advantages for these, which i am afraid to list here as to the length of the answer

Answer 3

We use a base 10 numerical system so those are the only required numerals. I work in the computer industry and sometimes we need to use base 16. When that happens we just use the letters A-F to represent the extra numerals.

Answer 4

This is because we used base 10. In case we go for base 2 there are 2 numrals 0, 1
in base 8 there are 8 numeral 0 to 7
based 16 there are 16 numerals (0 to 9 and a,b,c,d,e,f)

Answer 5

It depends where you are, and when.

In Great Britain up until decimalisation in 1971, on the computers that printed telephone bills, there were TWELVE digits inside the machine and on the printers because there were twelve pennies in a shilling. The two extra digits were printed as "10" and "11" but squashed together so that they only took up the same space on the customer's printed bill as a 0, 8 or 9. Inside the computer they were just two different values, and the counting circuits would step through these two extra values before carrying 1 into the shillings column.

Answer 6

We use a base-10 system because of an accident of biology ... we have 10 fingers.

That's why we call the numerals 'digits' (which means fingers). (Incidentally, that's also where we get the word 'digital' from ... 'in terms of numbers' as is required for computers.)

Instead of base-10 (decimal), we could have chosen any other system ... base-8 (octal) or base-16 (hexadecimal) might have better prepared us to invent computers ... as they are powers of 2, but are handier for humans to use than base-2 (binary).

Answer 7

Because we use the decimal numbers system that use the bas (10) so we have 10 digits (from 0 to 9)

Answer 8

10 fingers. By the way, some early mathematicians felt that eight digits was far more logical as a bast tnan base 10. The system would be based on "octets".

Answer 9

Ten fingers, ten toes. Makes sense, right?

Technically, this is called a BASE TEN system.

Answer 10

You can count on your hands. Roman nobles wore togas and always kept one hand hidden (likely holding a dagger for their friends' backs) and as a result counted by fives.