Antti J.V. Tuominen

Georges Ifrah, Lucien Gerschel, and four as the limit of small number systems

In his popular book Universal History of Number Georges Ifrah gives several examples of small number systems. Ifrah uses them as evidence of the idea that small number systems have a limit of four and count: one, two, two-one, two-two, many. The sources and origins of Ifrah’s hyp...