Author(s):
Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University)
Sir Francis George Hill (1867-1948), the author of The Development of Arabic Numerals in Europe (1915), was born in Bengal, India. He returned to England to become a noted art historian, a specialist in Renaissance medals, and, eventually, Director of the British Museum. His book traces the evolution of the Hindu-Arabic number symbols in Europe, documented by 64 tables of emerging symbols. Many of these numerals are imprints of rubbings obtained from existing monuments.
![](/sites/default/files/images/upload_library/46/Swetz_2012_Math_Treasures/JHU/1%2869%29.png)
Here are two typical tables from the book.
![](/sites/default/files/images/upload_library/46/Swetz_2012_Math_Treasures/JHU/1%2870%29.png)
![](/sites/default/files/images/upload_library/46/Swetz_2012_Math_Treasures/JHU/1%2871%29.png)
This material was obtained through the courtesy of the Peabody Library of Johns Hopkins University.
Index to Mathematical Treasures
Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University), "Mathematical Treasure: F. G. Hill’s Arabic Numerals in Europe," Convergence (July 2016)