The Mayan counting system uses 3 symbols to represent the number system. They used numerical glyphs and wrote them in positional notations, which means that the position of the "digit" represents the actual value for that symbol. Unlike ourselves, who use a base of 10, the Mayans would use a base of 20. The symbols that they would use would be a dot, which depending on it's position was either 1 or 20, next came the bar, which represented the value of 5, and a shell, which represented the number 0. These 3 symbols, and these 3 alone, was what the Mayans would use when doing mathematical problems. Their method can be a bit difficult to follow, but once understood, it can be just as easy as today's mathematical system. Now, in order to work out large problems the Mayans created a level positional system which contained four different levels. 8,000 Every level would contain either a dot, a bar, a shell, or a combination of all three. 400 Those would be added up and then multiplied by either 8,000, 400, 20, or 1. 20 These problems would be as simple as addition to as difficult as division. 1 But no matter the problem, the Mayans were able to solve it with just a dot, a bar, and a shell. |
||
 |
 |
|
