tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538502828554372917.post6239545834550277554..comments2024-03-28T07:57:49.338+00:00Comments on Poul Anderson Appreciation: Post-Arabic NumeralsKetlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588156788583883454noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538502828554372917.post-86691825732559617192022-08-05T19:52:10.577+01:002022-08-05T19:52:10.577+01:00Thanks for the recommendation.
Somehow I missed ge...Thanks for the recommendation.<br />Somehow I missed getting that in my long shelf of Poul Anderson stories.Jim Baerghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03182949391365921637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538502828554372917.post-24021279612191453772022-08-04T22:33:40.836+01:002022-08-04T22:33:40.836+01:00ddpaulshackley2017@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17704115766930975286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538502828554372917.post-30765004586037108842022-08-04T22:31:01.962+01:002022-08-04T22:31:01.962+01:00Jim,
Rea Anderson's AFTER DOOMSDAY if you hav...Jim,<br /><br />Rea Anderson's AFTER DOOMSDAY if you haven't already. Translation between alien number systems is basic to the plot.<br /><br />Paul.paulshackley2017@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17704115766930975286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538502828554372917.post-89152859196715787302022-08-04T20:34:35.684+01:002022-08-04T20:34:35.684+01:00We can look at the variations of how humans have w...We can look at the variations of how humans have written numbers.<br />It is likely that non-humans would use something as clumsy as roman numerals before someone realizes the elegance of positional notation with a zero symbol.<br />Some such positional notation is quite likely to use a different base than 10. Cf: hexadecimal is sometimes used when dealing with the internal details of electronic computing, as well as binary & octal. Then there is the base 20 notation of the Maya numerals. How likely are 6 or 4 finger hands to lead to base 12 or 8 numeral systems?<br />Even with the base 10 system we use, there is an abundance of difference symbols:<br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu%E2%80%93Arabic_numeral_system#Glyph_comparison<br /><br />Could there be more exotic representations? Might a species with dog level smell sensitivity use different scents in a positional notation system?Jim Baerghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03182949391365921637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538502828554372917.post-66357733186265977192015-08-09T08:59:13.121+01:002015-08-09T08:59:13.121+01:00Kaor, Paul!
It would be interesting to see how NO...Kaor, Paul!<br /><br />It would be interesting to see how NON human races on other worlds write or draw numbers. What would a 1,2,3,4,5, etc., written by non humans LOOK like?<br /><br />SeanSean M. Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13973738112230622557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538502828554372917.post-26899695252155517982015-08-09T07:33:26.526+01:002015-08-09T07:33:26.526+01:00Kaor, Paul!
Our Lord had nothing against SOLDIE...Kaor, Paul! <br /><br />Our Lord had nothing against SOLDIERS as such. Recall His praise of the Roman centurion who asked Him to cure his servant.<br /><br />And what if Castelar had indeed managed to meet Christ and found Him to be precisely as orthodox Christianity believes Him to be, both God and man? That question is as valid as the one speculating Christ was not as Christians believe Him to be.<br /><br />Sean Sean M. Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13973738112230622557noreply@blogger.com