3 ms·
> binary, the most fundamental number system I think base 1 is a little more fundamental than base 2, no?
by jjnoakes 8y ago
> binary, the most fundamental number system
I think base 1 is a little more fundamental than base 2, no?
- hervature 8y agoMathematically speaking, base 1 doesn't make any sense. Using 1 as a radix yields something incoherent. But I think you mean simply making a mark for every unit (like how most people count inventory) which is definitely more fundamental in a different way.
- jjnoakes 8y agoI mean 1 dec == 1 unit (1x1^0) 2 dec == 11 unit (1x1^0 + 1x1^1) 3 dec == 111 unit (1x1^0 + 1x1^1 + 1x1^2) etc. Just like the other bases, with "1" instead of "2" or "10". Well, maybe not "just like", the digit I have to use to represent each power of 1 is 1 and not 0, but I think that's a small concession.
- gowld 8y agoThat's not a "base". In base-n, the valid digits are 0..[n-1]. In your system, 1 = 10 = 100 = 1000, and 11 == 101 = 110, and 101 = 1+1 = 11. It's useless as a notation for arithmetic resembling like what bases are used for. In base 1, the only valid digit is 0, so the only valid number is unit.
- jjnoakes 8y agoRight, I addressed that in my post...
- hahahihi 8y agowriting ten like 1111111111 seems obvious enough, dividing by 11111 being 11 is alsof easy... but how fractions? Say 1 divided by 11111? I cant even imagine.
- thomastjeffery 8y agoUnary is just tallies. Without the cross every fifth digit, of course.