Let's have some math for a change.
Why do we count in tens?
Simple, we have ten fingers. When we get beyond 10, we have a "handful" (technically 9, as we have ten digits, number 0 thru 9).
The Arabs invented the number zero, so 1 thru 10 became 0 thu 9.
Computers count in twos, zero and one, because their switches can only be "on" or "off".
They became "BInary digiTS" or "BITS". Someone then thought about bunching them into "handfuls" as well, in groups of eight, and these were called "BYTES".
So, we have groups of 2, binary, groups of 8, octal, and groups of 10, decimal.
Then, the computer scientists, grouped two "handfuls" of bytes together into "handfuls" of 16. The was called "hexadecimal". Hexa meaning six, decimal meaning ten. They had to add new numbers to stand for 11, 12, etc. They called them A, B, etc.
So in the hexdecimal system, you have 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F.
So we have systems of "handfuls" 2, 8, 10 and 16. Mathematicians call these numbers the "base".
It does not end there. Why do we have 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour?
Simple, the Mayans counted using base 60.
Why do we have 360 degrees in a circle? Yet another civilisation had a base of 36.
Theoretically, you can have a base of any number.
It gets even weirder with the math guys. They have a number system whose base is actually an irrational number.
"The Devil sends this base with wrath...let him who hath understanding reckon the Number of the Base, for it is an exponentional number and it's number is 2.718281828...."
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Number of the Base
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1 comment:
:-) That was deci-mating. Pardon the pun, but I was just having some fun.
Didn't India actually develop the concept of zero? I don't know if they or the Arabs came up with the number/symbol 0, but I thought I read we got zero from India. Just a minor thing, given we would not have zero without the Arabs finding the concept in India or wherever they found it.
One of my fondest mathematical memories was being ahead of the other children in my class when it came to learning binary math, base 5, base 6, and other bases. I was a whiz at this, not realizing that computers were an even bigger whiz. I thought it seemed so simple, for all you had to do was shift your thinking a little. ha ha ha Today, I doubt my thinking shifts gears like it use to and I laugh at the realization it was easy enough, the other kids were destined to catch up with me.
The last one you mention, I don't recall hearing of it and it sounds more challenging than the others.
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