In binary system the number we use is merely 0 and 1. We count numbers as 0, 1,10,11,100,101,111,1000....
In decimal notation we use ten different figures, which are 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9.
Chinese people use 5,000 different figures in their writings. If someone try using 5,000 notation and we give 5,000 different figures in each 5, 000 numbers, if it's possible for him to memorize and make the most of them, our arithmetic and maths advance skyrocketingly.
We usually learn by heart up to 9x9. In that case we memorize up to what 5,000x5,000 is.
This seems to be too complicated, but possible for those who learn by heart too many things in much more easily.
Let's start counting up to 5,000 in different each one figure.
Base 5000!!! zomg!
ReplyDeleteBase 16 is probably the most commonly used base. How do you create 5000 unique symbols just for numbers alone, and the you have to have enough other symbols for all the other vocabulary we use?
In my school district, we memorized up to 12x12. My step dad's class memorized up to 20x20.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in school, I was taught that people remember symbols in combination, and that seven is the "sweet spot" count; Combinations of seven symbols are the most generally suitable for mnemonics and such.
I remembered squares, and observed the formula for the difference of two squares, which saved me the hassle of learning the rest.
ReplyDeleteChinese people created 5, 000 ideographic characters in ancient times and still they use in daily base. Japanese borrowed their characters but not all, that is 2, 000 Chinese characters.
ReplyDeleteWe spent tens of thousands of hours to learn by heart these Chinese characters. But it's clear those Chinese characters are very complicated, not easy for daily use, and obsolete. I just didn't want to think it was of no use I spent many hours in learning ideographic characters.
Base 5,000 is possible and some genius might use this method probably intuitively, but we have to wait for another 150,000 years for the use of this notation.
Our ancestor didn't know how to count numbers, probably the first step was one and two including more than two, reflecting singular and plural.
ReplyDeleteNext step was one, two, and many, reflecting the first, second and the third person. The notion of three appears when first person noticed there are someone other than I and you.
The concept of number has developed as times go by. We don't usually count 700 billion, 701 billion, but we will get accustomed to count numbers in unit billion if current economic crisis continues.
Many formulae can be drawn in different shapes that help us understand its meaning visually.
ReplyDeleteEach number might have its own colour and shape in a similar way.