Ever Heard of Strange Number Systems?

In summary, there have been various strange number systems used in different civilizations throughout history. The T'lingut people had a base 4 and 8 system, while the Romans had a baseless and awkward system. Many civilizations, such as the Hindus, had a more advanced system, but the Romans stuck to their own. The Mayans also had a base 20 system. Despite contact with other civilizations, the Romans continued to use their system, which may have been due to conventions or other factors.
  • #1
quddusaliquddus
354
2
There have been strange number systems used in the past in different parts of the world ... do you know any? :biggrin:
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
  • #2
I've mentioned this before: The T'lingut people of coastal Washington State, United States and British Columbia, Canada, counted on the spaces between their fingers rather than on their fingers and so had a number system based on 4 and 8 rather than 5 and 10.
 
  • #3
Lol...that bold[is] strange
 
  • #4
lol, but I would imagine a lot easier to work with computers if they had ever made it to the computer age.
 
  • #5
Must say I would like to have that system instead...to me it looks more beautiful!
 
  • #6
For a long time, number systems were "baseless". Look at Roman Numerals for instance - it takes cartloads of numerals to write a 4 or 5 digit (decimal) number.

Now isn't that strange ?
 
  • #7
Lol...Gokul...ur right
 
  • #8
Gokul43201 said:
For a long time, number systems were "baseless". Look at Roman Numerals for instance - it takes cartloads of numerals to write a 4 or 5 digit (decimal) number.

Now isn't that strange ?
I don't know about that. The Romans had an awkward number system, but most civilizations before, during, and after them I would assume, had decent number systems. The Hindu system of numbers upon which our current decimal system is based existed either before or during the time of the Romans. Also, I don't think number systems, except for the Romans (all I can think of) were baseless. The first number systems were a base 1 system -- tallying.
 
  • #9
I'm surprised about the Romans - not that i didn't know about their system - but that they could do so much and then have a crappy number system. I'm sure they had extensive contact with other civilisations esp. the Hindu one. Does any1 know y they decided to stik to their number?>
 
  • #10
they mayans had a base 20 number system
 
  • #11
quddusaliquddus said:
Does any1 know y they decided to stik to their number?>
Conventions die hard. Consider the imperial system of measurements.

- Warren
 
  • #12
Guess the Romans were too busy hacking up people in circuses or having neverending orgies.
 

1. What are strange number systems?

Strange number systems are alternative mathematical systems that use different rules and symbols to represent numbers and perform arithmetic operations. They can include systems like Roman numerals, binary numbers, and imaginary numbers.

2. Why do we have different number systems?

Different number systems were developed to solve specific problems or to make calculations easier. For example, the binary number system is used in computers because it only requires two symbols, 0 and 1, to represent numbers.

3. How do strange number systems work?

Each strange number system has its own set of rules and symbols. Some systems, like Roman numerals, use letters to represent values, while others, like imaginary numbers, use complex mathematical concepts. These systems also have their own methods for performing arithmetic operations.

4. What are the advantages of using strange number systems?

Strange number systems can offer alternative ways to solve problems and can be useful for specific applications. For example, binary numbers are used in computer programming because they can represent and manipulate data more efficiently than decimal numbers.

5. Are there any downsides to using strange number systems?

While strange number systems can offer unique solutions, they can also be more complex and difficult to understand compared to the standard decimal system. This can make calculations and conversions more challenging for those who are not familiar with the system.

Similar threads

  • General Math
Replies
3
Views
779
  • General Math
Replies
7
Views
759
Replies
1
Views
972
Replies
3
Views
89
Replies
7
Views
3K
Replies
8
Views
1K
Replies
4
Views
523
Replies
5
Views
934
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
6
Views
1K
Replies
5
Views
974
Back
Top