Question: where did the shape of numbers come from

title: Arabic numerals
text: Arabic numerals , also called Hindu -- Arabic numerals , are the ten digits : 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , based on the Hindu -- Arabic numeral system , the most common system for the symbolic representation of numbers in the world today . In this numeral system , a sequence of digits such as `` 975 '' is read as a single number , using the position of the digit in the sequence to interpret its value . They are descended from the Hindu - Arabic numeral system developed by ancient Indian mathematicians around 500 CE . 

Answer: answer: Arabic numerals , also called Hindu -- Arabic numerals , are the ten digits : 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , based on the Hindu -- Arabic numeral system. They are descended from the Hindu - Arabic numeral system developed by ancient Indian mathematicians around 500 CE .