Indian numerical notation brought by the Arabs to the West

Indian numerical notation brought by the Arabs to the West

• A. Shrivijaya
• B. Arabic numerals
• C. Malacca
• D. Ulama

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is the way a numeral system that originated in India traveled to Europe through the Islamic world. Indians developed a decimal positional notation with a symbol for zero, and Arab scholars studied and transmitted this system as they connected the Islamic world with Europe. In Western usage, the digits are called Arabic numerals precisely because their spread to Europe happened via Arabic scholars and centers of learning, even though the origin is Indian. This naming reflects the historical path of transmission, not where the system was invented. The other options refer to places or groups rather than a numeral system.

The idea being tested is the way a numeral system that originated in India traveled to Europe through the Islamic world. Indians developed a decimal positional notation with a symbol for zero, and Arab scholars studied and transmitted this system as they connected the Islamic world with Europe. In Western usage, the digits are called Arabic numerals precisely because their spread to Europe happened via Arabic scholars and centers of learning, even though the origin is Indian. This naming reflects the historical path of transmission, not where the system was invented. The other options refer to places or groups rather than a numeral system.