What numerical system is the basis of our current numbering?

The numerical system that serves as the foundation of our current numbering is the Hindu-Arabic numeral system. This system originated from ancient Indian mathematicians and was later transmitted to the Islamic world, where it was further developed. It includes ten distinct digits: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

The significance of this system lies in its use of place value and the concept of zero. The position of a digit in a number indicates its value, which allows for the representation of large numbers in a compact and efficient way. For instance, the number 204 is understood in terms of the place value system as 2 hundreds, 0 tens, and 4 units.

In contrast, the Roman numeral system employs letters from the Latin alphabet and lacks a place value and zero concept, making arithmetic operations much more cumbersome. The binary numeral system is primarily used in computing, representing values as either 0 or 1, which is not suited for everyday arithmetic. While the decimal numeral system is commonly referenced and often associated with the Hindu-Arabic system, it specifically refers to the base ten aspect rather than the entire system, which encompasses