4 ms·

Yes, but do you start at 0 or 1? Also, is the last step you take onto the floor/landing counted? And when going down, do you use negative numbers? So many que

by js2 8y ago

Yes, but do you start at 0 or 1? Also, is the last step you take onto the floor/landing counted? And when going down, do you use negative numbers? So many questions left unanswered. I feel you aren't a true stair counting nerd afterall. :-)

CydeWeys 8y ago
I know you're joking, but the number of steps is well defined and doesn't vary as it's essentially a difference. The difference between two numbers is always the same regardless of whether you're using a 0-indexed or a 1-indexed base system. E.g. regardless of whether you call an element in an array [1] or [2], it's still two elements away from whatever is [3] or [4] -- the number of stairs climbed is the same. So you're free to use either top-stepian or bottom-stepian notation when counting stairs and you'll get to the same answer either way. So it's just an implementation detail that's left undefined in the spec.
- jacobolus 8y ago
  0-indexing steps is clearly the only reasonable choice. Who in their right mind would call the ground the “first step”?
  - davchana 8y ago
    Ground is never a step; zero or one; not. Because while we are on ground; we are on same level, stairs have not started yet. As soon as we put our foot on upper level than the other foot, stairs have started & that upper foot marks the / lands on "first" step.
    - DougBTX 8y ago
      Following the principle that array indexes are “between” the elements, the bottom of the first step is 0, and the top of the first step is 1. Then the ground, which is equal in elevation to the bottom of the first step, is at 0, and the floor after the last step is N, one past the index of the last valid step, N-1. Half open zero based ranges are quite satisfying :-)
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
  - exegete 8y ago
    I think it's the same people who call the ground floor the first floor. Coincidentally, I often have an off-by-one error in elevators.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
NeedMoreTea 8y ago
Please don't. It's bad enough that the US and UK can't agree on floor numbering. :) USA 1st, 2nd, 3rd UK Ground, 1st, 2nd Is the basement in the US 0?
- jacobolus 8y ago
  No, like the creator of the Anno Domini system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_zero https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_zero, American elevator labelers do not believe in “unnatural” numbers < 1. Below the “first floor” they jump straight to B1.
  - js2 8y ago
    Some US buildings also skip the 13th floor. Does the UK share this superstition?
    - Symbiote 8y ago
      Occasionally, in buildings designed for American businesses, like some of the large bank buildings.
- notyourwork 8y ago
  Basement is -1
  - _emacsomancer_ 8y ago
    In the US or UK system? And, in any case, then what is 0?
davchana 8y ago
For me, I have always counted it as a step if my foot-in-the-air lands on a different level than the other foot. So, if I am walking; & approach a flight of stairs going upwards, before until my both feet are on same plane, stairs have not started & I can't start counting. As soon as I step "up", my feet is on different (higher in this case going upwards), I count it as first stair. Same on the other side. I continue counting till I am stepping up. As soon as I land my both feets on same level; any foot-step after that doesn't get counted in step-count. Other way to count steps are imagine if we look ar stairs' drawing or cross-section view from side; i.e. a right-angled zig-zag line going up. On both ends, ground & landing lines are also there i.e. the drawing has always a horizontal line on upper & lower side representing floor & landing. This line is from bottom-left; going upwards towards top-right; the drawing's triangular section of bottom-right is, assume, filled in with concrete/anything; & a person walks on left-top section. Any 90 degree outward bend on this side is a step. ┍──── ┍┙ ┍┙ ┍┙ ────┙ Four steps in above.
- Someone 8y ago
  ”I have always counted it as a step if my foot-in-the-air lands on a different level than the other foot.” That algorithm doesn’t count steps of a stair, it counts the number of steps you take to go up (or down) a staircase. Those are different if you follow this nerd’s way, which, by the way, has benefits other than making it easier to count stairs. It’s a fairly easy way to get some strength training. I think everybody who can should take stairs two steps at a time. That gives you some cushion in old age, as you’ll be able to go back to one step at a time, and postpones the day where taking a stair becomes impossible. If two steps is easy, you can make going up harder (I don’t advise that going down stairs) by sitting deeper, with your thighs horizontally, or by taking three steps at a time (four steps is out of reach for most)
  - TheSpiceIsLife 8y ago
    Would taking two steps at a time in this was possibly cause more knee-joint wear?
modells 8y ago
Subterranean floors should be numbered negatively. And, why not number floors using binary or hex? ;)
- sriku 8y ago
  In India, not only are ground floors often numbered 0, subterranean ones are in many places numbered -1, -2.
phyzome 8y ago
Stairs are counted by their risers.

by js2 8y ago

CydeWeys 8y ago

I know you're joking, but the number of steps is well defined and doesn't vary as it's essentially a difference. The difference between two numbers is always the same regardless of whether you're using a 0-indexed or a 1-indexed base system. E.g. regardless of whether you call an element in an array [1] or [2], it's still two elements away from whatever is [3] or [4] -- the number of stairs climbed is the same. So you're free to use either top-stepian or bottom-stepian notation when counting stairs and you'll get to the same answer either way. So it's just an implementation detail that's left undefined in the spec.

jacobolus 8y ago
0-indexing steps is clearly the only reasonable choice. Who in their right mind would call the ground the “first step”?
- davchana 8y ago
  Ground is never a step; zero or one; not. Because while we are on ground; we are on same level, stairs have not started yet. As soon as we put our foot on upper level than the other foot, stairs have started & that upper foot marks the / lands on "first" step.
  - DougBTX 8y ago
    Following the principle that array indexes are “between” the elements, the bottom of the first step is 0, and the top of the first step is 1. Then the ground, which is equal in elevation to the bottom of the first step, is at 0, and the floor after the last step is N, one past the index of the last valid step, N-1. Half open zero based ranges are quite satisfying :-)
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
- exegete 8y ago
  I think it's the same people who call the ground floor the first floor. Coincidentally, I often have an off-by-one error in elevators.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

NeedMoreTea 8y ago

Please don't. It's bad enough that the US and UK can't agree on floor numbering. :) USA 1st, 2nd, 3rd UK Ground, 1st, 2nd Is the basement in the US 0?

jacobolus 8y ago
No, like the creator of the Anno Domini system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_zero https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_zero, American elevator labelers do not believe in “unnatural” numbers < 1. Below the “first floor” they jump straight to B1.
- js2 8y ago
  Some US buildings also skip the 13th floor. Does the UK share this superstition?
  - Symbiote 8y ago
    Occasionally, in buildings designed for American businesses, like some of the large bank buildings.
notyourwork 8y ago
Basement is -1
- _emacsomancer_ 8y ago
  In the US or UK system? And, in any case, then what is 0?

davchana 8y ago

For me, I have always counted it as a step if my foot-in-the-air lands on a different level than the other foot. So, if I am walking; & approach a flight of stairs going upwards, before until my both feet are on same plane, stairs have not started & I can't start counting. As soon as I step "up", my feet is on different (higher in this case going upwards), I count it as first stair. Same on the other side. I continue counting till I am stepping up. As soon as I land my both feets on same level; any foot-step after that doesn't get counted in step-count. Other way to count steps are imagine if we look ar stairs' drawing or cross-section view from side; i.e. a right-angled zig-zag line going up. On both ends, ground & landing lines are also there i.e. the drawing has always a horizontal line on upper & lower side representing floor & landing. This line is from bottom-left; going upwards towards top-right; the drawing's triangular section of bottom-right is, assume, filled in with concrete/anything; & a person walks on left-top section. Any 90 degree outward bend on this side is a step. ┍──── ┍┙ ┍┙ ┍┙ ────┙ Four steps in above.

Someone 8y ago
”I have always counted it as a step if my foot-in-the-air lands on a different level than the other foot.” That algorithm doesn’t count steps of a stair, it counts the number of steps you take to go up (or down) a staircase. Those are different if you follow this nerd’s way, which, by the way, has benefits other than making it easier to count stairs. It’s a fairly easy way to get some strength training. I think everybody who can should take stairs two steps at a time. That gives you some cushion in old age, as you’ll be able to go back to one step at a time, and postpones the day where taking a stair becomes impossible. If two steps is easy, you can make going up harder (I don’t advise that going down stairs) by sitting deeper, with your thighs horizontally, or by taking three steps at a time (four steps is out of reach for most)
- TheSpiceIsLife 8y ago
  Would taking two steps at a time in this was possibly cause more knee-joint wear?

modells 8y ago

Subterranean floors should be numbered negatively. And, why not number floors using binary or hex? ;)

sriku 8y ago
In India, not only are ground floors often numbered 0, subterranean ones are in many places numbered -1, -2.

phyzome 8y ago

Stairs are counted by their risers.