812 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [December, 1911 
ployed by the Hindus in early days. Besides alphabetica 
notations mentioned by Whish we find the term hindi app 
to the following system by Ahmed b. ‘Abu Bekr and others. 
a ee 
T4434 AAA 1 rh By te, 
In the Fihrist a similar non-place value notation is give 
but with the dot underneath the figures.! Neither of the sys- 
tems is in any way Indian. 
VII. 
That such errors as those illustrated above have 
the Indian numerical system.’’ He also said that a Hir 
book served as the basis of the Almagest which in its tu 
was the foundation of Ptolemy’s work.? Bombelli stated th 
Diophantus often quotes from Indian authors.’ Such mis 
representations are so obviously wrong that they are readll 
detected; but Cossali, Sir W. Jones, Playfair, Taylor, 
M ‘ 
1 L. C. Karpinski. Hindu numerals in the Firhist. Biblio 
Mathematica, 11, 2,.1911, p. 121. . 
; ® The whole passage is worth quoting as an illustration of the 
° evidence that has been accepted by writers on oriental subjects -— 
a, ngress of sages, gathered together by order of th 
(Brahma the great !), composed the book Sindhind which signifies 
relative to the origin of thin imitive hi ie 
. gs and to primitive history wil 
indians utilize to evaluate the ancient aa: a study which 18 
developed ,#mong them than any other people... . . Brahma | 
goudi Les Praires d'Or p. 150F. 
’. p. 21 (Second Edition). 
