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The influence of the place-value structure of the Arabic number ...

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limited set <strong>of</strong> symbols. To achieve this goal numerical notation systems are dimensionally<br />

organized into bases and powers, for instance, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Arabic</strong> <strong>number</strong> system is a base-10 system.<br />

In all notational systems <strong>the</strong> powers <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> base are <strong>of</strong> special designation (as can be<br />

ma<strong>the</strong>matically indicated by an exponent 10 0 = 1; 10 1 = 10, 10 2 = 100 etc. for <strong>the</strong> <strong>Arabic</strong><br />

<strong>number</strong> system). However, please note that <strong>the</strong>re are also numerical notation systems with<br />

more than one base for which a comprehensive ma<strong>the</strong>matical description is more complex<br />

(e.g., <strong>the</strong> Roman notation system with <strong>the</strong> main base 10 and its power levels, i.e., 10 0 = I; 10 1<br />

= X, 10 2 = C etc. and <strong>the</strong> sub-base 5 and its power levels 5 1 x 10 0 = V; 5 1 x 10 1 = L, 5 1 x 10 2 =<br />

D). When expressing e.g., <strong>the</strong> <strong>number</strong> <strong>of</strong> items in a set by <strong>the</strong>ir corresponding <strong>number</strong> <strong>the</strong>re<br />

are different possibilities to code <strong>the</strong> quantity to-be-represented at each individual power level<br />

but also in <strong>the</strong> way <strong>the</strong> single power levels are integrated into a coherent overall<br />

representation <strong>of</strong> a given <strong>number</strong> are possible. In his recent typology for numerical notation,<br />

Chrisomalis (2004) used exactly such intra- as well as interexponential (referring to <strong>the</strong><br />

exponent coding <strong>the</strong> power dimension) characteristics <strong>of</strong> notation systems to develop a clearly<br />

<strong>structure</strong>d typology (see also Guitel, 1975 as well as Zhang & Norman, 1995 for possible<br />

typologies relying on different structural aspects <strong>of</strong> numerical notation systems). Both <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong>se dimensions differentiate between a <strong>number</strong> <strong>of</strong> principles determining <strong>the</strong> way numerical<br />

representation is organized.<br />

According to Chrisomalis (2004) <strong>the</strong> intraexponetial dimension can be subdivided into<br />

cumulative, ciphered, and multiplicative organization subtypes. In systems with a cumulative<br />

intraexponential <strong>structure</strong> any power <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> base is indicated by repeating <strong>number</strong> symbols<br />

until <strong>the</strong> sum <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se symbols equals <strong>the</strong> to-be-represented quantity at <strong>the</strong> particular power<br />

level (e.g., CCC represents 300 in <strong>the</strong> Roman <strong>number</strong> system, literally meaning 100 + 100 +<br />

100). Contrarily, in ciphered numerical notation systems each power level is represented by<br />

only one <strong>number</strong> symbol. Thus, coding a given <strong>number</strong> requires as many <strong>number</strong> symbols as<br />

5

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