DescriptionMaya add.png	English: The equation "5 + 8 equal 13" written with Maya numerals
Date	6 December 2006 (original upload date)
Source	Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Trixt using CommonsHelper.
Author	Mdsats at English Wikipedia
Other versions	This text image could be re-created using vector graphics as an SVG file. This has several advantages; see Commons:Media for cleanup for more information. If an SVG form of this image is available, please upload it and afterwards replace this template with {{vector version available|new image name}}. It is recommended to name the SVG file “Maya add.svg”—then the template Vector version available (or Vva) does not need the new image name parameter.

Instead of ten digits like we have today, the Maya used a base number of 20. (Base 20 is vigesimal.) They also used a system of bar and dot as "shorthand" for counting. A dot stood for one and a bar stood for five. In the following table, you can see how this works. 0 1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19

Because the base of the number system was 20, larger numbers were written down in powers of 20. We do that in our decimal system too: for example 32 is 3×10+2. In the Maya system, this would be 1×20+12, because they used 20 as base.

Numbers were written from bottom to top. Below you can see how the number 32 was written:

20's (1) 1's (12)

It was very easy to add and subtract using this number system, but they did not use fractions. Here's an example of a simple addiMaya Mathematics Instead of ten digits like we have today, the Maya used a base number of 20. (Base 20 is vigesimal.) They also used a system of bar and dot as "shorthand" for counting. A dot stood for one and a bar stood for five. In the following table, you can see how this works. 0 1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19

Because the base of the number system was 20, larger numbers were written down in powers of 20. We do that in our decimal system too: for example 32 is 3×10+2. In the Maya system, this would be 1×20+12, because they used 20 as base.

Numbers were written from bottom to top. Below you can see how the number 32 was written:

20's (1) 1's (12)

It was very easy to add and subtract using this number system, but they did not use fractions. Here's an example of a simple addition:

8000's 400's 20's + = 1's

9449 + 10425 = 19874 

As you can see, adding is just a matter of adding up dots and bars! Maya merchants often used cocoa beans, which they laid out on the ground, to do these calculations.

If you have a Java-enabled browser, you will see an interactive number converter below. Fill in the a number in the top field, and press return to find its Maya equivalent.. Press +1 and -1 to change the number by one.

tion:

8000's 400's 20's + = 1's

9449 + 10425 = 19874 

As you can see, adding is just a matter of adding up dots and bars! Maya merchants often used cocoa beans, which they laid out on the ground, to do these calculations.

If you have a Java-enabled browser, you will see an interactive number converter below. Fill in the a number in the top field, and press return to find its Maya equivalent.. Press +1 and -1 to change the number by one.

This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Mdsats at English Wikipedia. This applies worldwide. In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so: Mdsats grants anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse

• 2006-12-06 22:06 Mdsats 400×94× (2865 bytes) The equation "5 + 8 = 13" written with Maya numerals