Subject: Re: [HM] symbol for infinity
From: John Conway (conway@math.Princeton.edu)
Date: Wed Jan 12 2000 - 11:48:44 EST
On Tue, 11 Jan 2000, Karen Dee Michalowicz wrote:
>
>> You will find the sign oo on the Roman abacus which is in the
>> Biblioth\eque Nationale in Paris.
>
> There's a Roman Abacus with oo in the British Museum, also.
Is it clear what the symbol means in either of these abaci?
Does it, for instance, head a "column" devoted to some large number?
I ask because otherwise it's quite probable that it's just part of
the decoration.
John Conway
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