THE CONCEPT OF NUMBER, THE HISTORY OF ITS FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The article examines the evolution of number, the history of its formation, reveals the common and different in the development of counting among different peoples. It is revealed that in connection with the development of thinking, logic, mathematics and culture, the development of counting was carried out with the transition from the concrete-sensory (empirical) to the abstract perception of number. At the initial stage, numerical designations were identified with designations of an object and properties. Counting was done using parts of the body, mostly the legs, hands and fingers. Thus, the most widespread among many peoples was the fivefold system of calculation. Initially, there was only the concept of “one” and “many”, and over time the concept of “few” was added to them. For a long time, only the numerals “one” and “two” existed, but gradually the numeral “three” came into use, serving as a symbol of the multitude, the immensity. With the development of society, it became necessary to count and memorize already relatively large quantities and higher numbers arose. The quantities lying outside the extreme number were perceived by a person as indefinite “multitude”.