What is the correct historical sequence for the transmission of Arabic numerals as described?

What is the correct historical sequence for the transmission of Arabic numerals as described?

• A. Europe -> Islamic world -> India
• B. China -> India -> Europe
• C. Africa -> Europe -> Asia
• D. India -> medieval Islamic civilization -> Europe

Answer: (D)

The spread of Hindu-Arabic numerals follows how mathematical ideas moved across cultures: they originated in India with the decimal place-value system and the concept of zero, and were later learned, adapted, and transmitted by scholars in the medieval Islamic world. From there, these numerals entered Europe through contact with the Islamic world, translations of Arabic texts, and exchanges in places like Spain and Sicily, with figures such as Fibonacci popularizing them in Europe in the medieval period. That sequence—India first, then the medieval Islamic civilization, then Europe—best matches the documented diffusion of Hindu-Arabic numerals. The other routes don’t fit this established transmission path, which centers on the Indian origin and the pivotal role of the Islamic world as the bridge to Europe.

The spread of Hindu-Arabic numerals follows how mathematical ideas moved across cultures: they originated in India with the decimal place-value system and the concept of zero, and were later learned, adapted, and transmitted by scholars in the medieval Islamic world. From there, these numerals entered Europe through contact with the Islamic world, translations of Arabic texts, and exchanges in places like Spain and Sicily, with figures such as Fibonacci popularizing them in Europe in the medieval period. That sequence—India first, then the medieval Islamic civilization, then Europe—best matches the documented diffusion of Hindu-Arabic numerals. The other routes don’t fit this established transmission path, which centers on the Indian origin and the pivotal role of the Islamic world as the bridge to Europe.