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Wonderful article, but one verdict turns out to be wrong: Translating from one base to another is an utterly useless thing. If you can do it, maybe it's entert

Wonderful article, but one verdict turns out to be wrong: Translating from one base to another is an utterly useless thing. If you can do it, maybe it's entertaining; if you can't do it, forget it. There's no point to it.

anaphor 13y ago
Well, it was written before writing things in octal or hex was common, I think, so you'll have to cut him some slack there.
jerf 13y ago
Do not mistake "tradition" for "useful", and especially in the context of a math cirriculum. It is useless to learn it in school. For that fraction of a percent that goes on to not only program computers, but also routinely dabble in bit-bashing, let them take the time to learn it (and they'll probably only learn special cases anyhow). Don't jam it down everyone's throat, and pile on one more reason on the already voluminous pile of reasons to hate math and think it's useless. (A conclusion that our school system does its level best to make the rational conclusion based on the evidence!)
pmiller2 13y ago
I'd say it's still a generally true statement. Other than base 2, 8, or 16, there isn't much use for translating from one base to another.
- impendia 13y ago
  The purpose of working in number bases other than 10 is to reinforce the meaning of place value, and to implicitly teach students that the way we write numerals is (1) very logical and sensible, but (2) an accident of biology. What we should really do is make students add and multiply in Roman numerals. Quick, what's LXXVII x XLIV? Attempting that will make you appreciate decimal notation real quick.
mturmon 13y ago
It's inevitable to link to this now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIKGV2cTgqA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIKGV2cTgqA It's Tom Lehrer, about 50 years ago, explaining subtraction in the context of the "new" math (the base-8 stuff starts at 2:40). Worth a listen.

anaphor 13y ago

Well, it was written before writing things in octal or hex was common, I think, so you'll have to cut him some slack there.

jerf 13y ago

Do not mistake "tradition" for "useful", and especially in the context of a math cirriculum. It is useless to learn it in school. For that fraction of a percent that goes on to not only program computers, but also routinely dabble in bit-bashing, let them take the time to learn it (and they'll probably only learn special cases anyhow). Don't jam it down everyone's throat, and pile on one more reason on the already voluminous pile of reasons to hate math and think it's useless. (A conclusion that our school system does its level best to make the rational conclusion based on the evidence!)

pmiller2 13y ago

I'd say it's still a generally true statement. Other than base 2, 8, or 16, there isn't much use for translating from one base to another.

impendia 13y ago
The purpose of working in number bases other than 10 is to reinforce the meaning of place value, and to implicitly teach students that the way we write numerals is (1) very logical and sensible, but (2) an accident of biology. What we should really do is make students add and multiply in Roman numerals. Quick, what's LXXVII x XLIV? Attempting that will make you appreciate decimal notation real quick.

mturmon 13y ago

It's inevitable to link to this now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIKGV2cTgqA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIKGV2cTgqA It's Tom Lehrer, about 50 years ago, explaining subtraction in the context of the "new" math (the base-8 stuff starts at 2:40). Worth a listen.