Hindu-Arabic
The Hindu-Arabic number system is the one that we feel should stay as Australia's number system as it is already used globally, every country understands it and we are already using it and it is working so why bother change it?!
Pros:
The good things about the Hindu-Arabic numerals is you can add and sutract using symbols (+ and -) and we can also use gestures to demonstrate the numerals - using our fingers for numbers up to ten and repeating the finger gestures for the number you want to be known. It is also simple and everyone already knows it so if we change it it would mean the re-education of millions of people so why give us the bother of changing it. The written numbers are used globally.
-Addition can be done using the + symbol. You take two numbers and add them together and there is no limit on how high you can add to because the hindu-arabic numbers are infinite. Addition can be written in many ways where as in other number systems it cannot be written at all. E.g. 34 + 28 = 62 or 34
28+
62
-Subtraction is the same as addition in that it can be written in many different forms. The ways of doing subtraction are known everywhere and are very simple. You take a smaller number off a bigger one. 34 . The subtraction symbol is - and can also be said
as take away or minus. 28 -
06
-Multiplication can also be said as groups of. 12 x 3 could also be said as 12 groups of 3. It is the same concept in all number systems but it is made difficult by the fact that numbers do not go very high and in some systems cannot be written down. Multiplication is infinite in the hindu-arabic system. an example of multiplication is 12 .
12 x
144
-Division is the same as multiplication but the other way around. What is 12 x 12 = 144 would be 144 ÷ 12 = 12. Any multiplication sum backwards is the same as the division one making it even easier to use the hindu-arabic system.
-Place value in the hindu-arabic system is very easy to understand. The first number on your right is in the ones column and as you move across to your left the number increases in value. Say you had the number 163 954 and you were asked what value the five
had you might just go right ahead and think well of course it would equal five but you would be wrong. The five is in the tens column and thus would be equal to fifty. If there is a decimal point 56.498 the four would be a tenth, the five a hundredth and the four a thousandth.
It is all very simple once you get your head around it.
-Addition can be done using the + symbol. You take two numbers and add them together and there is no limit on how high you can add to because the hindu-arabic numbers are infinite. Addition can be written in many ways where as in other number systems it cannot be written at all. E.g. 34 + 28 = 62 or 34
28+
62
-Subtraction is the same as addition in that it can be written in many different forms. The ways of doing subtraction are known everywhere and are very simple. You take a smaller number off a bigger one. 34 . The subtraction symbol is - and can also be said
as take away or minus. 28 -
06
-Multiplication can also be said as groups of. 12 x 3 could also be said as 12 groups of 3. It is the same concept in all number systems but it is made difficult by the fact that numbers do not go very high and in some systems cannot be written down. Multiplication is infinite in the hindu-arabic system. an example of multiplication is 12 .
12 x
144
-Division is the same as multiplication but the other way around. What is 12 x 12 = 144 would be 144 ÷ 12 = 12. Any multiplication sum backwards is the same as the division one making it even easier to use the hindu-arabic system.
-Place value in the hindu-arabic system is very easy to understand. The first number on your right is in the ones column and as you move across to your left the number increases in value. Say you had the number 163 954 and you were asked what value the five
had you might just go right ahead and think well of course it would equal five but you would be wrong. The five is in the tens column and thus would be equal to fifty. If there is a decimal point 56.498 the four would be a tenth, the five a hundredth and the four a thousandth.
It is all very simple once you get your head around it.
Cons:
The negative side of Hindu-Arabic numerals is it is complicated to divide and multiply and you have to carry on learning techniques all the way through most of your school life. They are always evolving and there is a complicated way to say 1 million yes, you could use words, but if in a test you had to write in numbers one million it would take you much longer than you would like. So instead of more than one digit numbers for larger numbers there should be different, one digit, numbers for each of the numbers.
conclusion
So for all the reasons above, we should not change the hindu-arabic system. It is the easiest system to use and is known worldwide. I only think we should change the name of it because typing 'Hindu-Arabic' all the time really aches your hands!