Arabic Numerals

I had replied to "E.V." (No. 15. p. 230.), when I saw by your "Notice to Correspondents," that the question was answered. I therefore waited the publication of the replies, which I find do not embrace any one of the points to which I would call the attention of "E.V." —Diophantus of Alexandria, who flourished about 150 years after Christ, and who wrote thirteen books of algebra or arithmetic in the Greek language, is generally supposed to be the oldest writer on the subject that has come down to our time; but it was not from him that we received the knowledge of algebra in Europe. It appears c…