Math Is Fun Forum

John E. Franklin

Member

Registered: 2005-08-29

Posts: 3,588

Ever get sick of zeros?

If you don't like zeros in our number system, then you're like me.
If we did away with zero, and replaced ten with the symbol "J",
then we could overload base-10.
You can only use a zero if it is to the left or right of all the other digits.
The number zero cannot be used within the the digits 1 to 9 and J.
Normally,  0.006035800001007 would become 0.005J3579999J9J7, I think.
And counting would be 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 J 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1J 21 22 23 24 etc...
This is kind of a joke, but isn't it fun??
The normal 55048.000789000099 would become 54J47.99J789999J99, perhaps.
I'm new to this, so my calculations might be wrong.  Correct me if I am wrong or add more examples!!

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igloo myrtilles fourmis

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: Ever get sick of zeros?

Not quite Base-11, maybe a Base-10.5

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

John E. Franklin

Member

Registered: 2005-08-29

Posts: 3,588

Re: Ever get sick of zeros?

All the numbers without zeros in them will still be just the same I think.
So lets see, I'll start with ninety-five and count upwards:

Normal/Overload
95/95
96/96
97/97
98/98
99/99
100/9J
101/J1
102/J2
103/J3
104/J4
105/J5
106/J6
107/J7
108/J8
109/J9
110/JJ
111/111
112/112
113/113
114/114
115/115
116/116
117/117
118/118
119/119
120/11J
121/121
122/122
123/123
It's kind of interesting.

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igloo myrtilles fourmis

mikau

Member

Registered: 2005-08-22

Posts: 1,504

Re: Ever get sick of zeros?

I agree. Zero is definitly the most problematic and rule breaking real number. It jams almost every consistant property of numbers. If it weren't for zero, things would be a lot simpler...or would they? Zero is a natural and necessary part of our world. In fact I believe its considered to be one of the most important numbers in mathematics, right up there with e, pi, phi and i!
"People used to tell me I was worth nothing! Just look at me now!"-the number zero.

Sometimes I wonder if zero is actually a totally differt animal than real numbers. And we've just trained ourselves to pretend like it is. An abstract idea in attempt to treat a number with no magnitude like a number with magnitude.

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A logarithm is just a misspelled algorithm.

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: Ever get sick of zeros?

Sometimes I wonder if zero is actually a totally differt animal than real numbers. And we've just trained ourselves to pretend like it is. An abstract idea in attempt to treat a number with no magnitude like a number with magnitude.

Yes, like infinity, except that zero is right there on the number line, somewhere between -1 and 1.

Zero came up recently when we were discussing number sets. It kind of breaks the rules by being both Real and Imaginary.

But if we have, say, 1+0i, we think of that as being the Real Number 1, likewise 0+i is the Imaginary Number i ... so does that mean that 0+0i is neither Imaginary nor Real ... ?

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

mikau

Member

Registered: 2005-08-22

Posts: 1,504

Re: Ever get sick of zeros?

I'm not sure!

0 + 0i = 0(0 + i) which is 0(i).   
If 1 + 0i = 1 then 0i = 0.

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A logarithm is just a misspelled algorithm.

George,Y

Member

Registered: 2006-03-12

Posts: 1,379

Re: Ever get sick of zeros?

The Romans count without 0.
0 means "vanity" in Hindu language.

Last edited by George,Y (2007-02-12 02:06:34)

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X'(y-Xβ)=0