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(198) : Nandanavana
Numeration: Number System
18
Jain' has pointed that the foundation of number system is laid down by Virasena by defining it and logically arguing for the existence of numbers higher than one. Almost all scholars have stated that Vīrasena was familiar with the zero and place value notation. Commenting on Needham's views. Satyaprakash" has stated that the symbols of zero, numerals and place-value notation originated in India much earlier and were passed on to the other parts of the world including China. Of course, decimal system might have been developed in China quite earlier in respect of cartography and transmitted to other parts of the world in due course.
The description about 'gross' in the first instance seems to be all right. But the numeration of realities has lesser description than others seems to be debatable 20. The discussion on the grossness and fineness of various kinds of numeration is found only in Dhavala. According to Jaina scriptures, the numbers are used for qualitative descriptions of realities. They have varied descriptions. There are eight types of numeration: (1) Namal (2) Representational (3) Substantive (4) Simile (5) Quantitative (6) Counting (7) Knowledge and (8) Modes. They are included in three-fold modal measures in ADS21. Out of these, it is only the counting numbers, which are important to us.
There are two kinds of number: (1) real and (2) imaginary. The real numbers are countable while the imaginary numbers like innumerable or infinite are subject to supra-knowledge or simile. The Jaina texts have used both types of number from the very beginning. However, it is only recently that the imaginary numbers have become subject of modern mathematics.
Numbering Process
In general, though the counting starts from one, but it is not taken as a number which is defined as that whose square has a larger value than the original number. Thus, the Jaina number starts from two only22. Per chance, it may be due to this that a Jaina atomic combination start with more than two (atoms) and the logarithm has a base of two or more than two.
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