2 ms·
Base 12! The operations humans do a lot divide by 2,3,4,12 can be done evenly. Your goal is to pack as many factors into your base as possible. They're called h
by Spivak 3y ago
Base 12! The operations humans do a lot divide by 2,3,4,12 can be done evenly. Your goal is to pack as many factors into your base as possible. They're called highly composite numbers and their big brother superior highly composite numbers.
Base 10: 1,2,5,10
Base 12: 1,2,3,4,6,12
Base 60: 1,2,3,4,5,6,10,12,15,20,30,60
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_highly_composite_number https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_highly_composite_nu...
- Qem 3y agoChildren starting school would not be amused needing to learn 144 entries arithmetic tables. Lots of people were scarred already, starting with a lot of resentment against math due to sheer boredom of rote learning 100 entries tables close when they are first presented to the subject.
- Spivak 3y agoUm they already do that, my elementary times tables went up to twelve. Also it's really 72 entries, and let's ignore 1's so it's 60. Unfortunately you have to memorize your times tables. There's no other way. You can't build number sense without having operations on small numbers in your meat L1 cache.
- brianush1 3y agoLearning up to 12x12 is commonplace in the U.S., and apparently in other English-speaking countries, too https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiplication_table#Modern_times https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiplication_table#Modern_ti...
- ttonkytonk 3y agoIn base 12, the multiplication tables are (likely) easier to learn because of the increase in factors (e.g. 3 would be "3,6,9,10,13..." and 4 would be "4,8,10,14..." 8 would be "8,14,20,28..." and 9 would be "9,16,23,30,39...").