| Interesting Math History |
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| Question : |
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How did the symbol '%' originate ? |
Answer : |
The symbol % means 100. It started as 100 then 1oo, then 
in the 17th century and finally 0/0 or %.
The symbol evolved from an abbreviation of P cento. The phrase
per cento had several different abbreviations (e.g. per 100,
p 100, p cento, etc.). |
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Percent has been used since the end of the fifteenth century in commercial calculations such as computing interest, profit
and loss, and taxes. However, the idea had its origin much earlier.
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The symbol ‰ stands for per thousand. And the solidus form % is now being used.
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