FLAVOURS OF NUMBERS

100, 1100100, 64,25

all represents the number hundred in different numerical languages.

We count the minutes as 1,2,3...60 and mark it as one hour. Again we start counting the minutes from 1. So the minutes and seconds are having the base of 60 or radix 60. We count the inches 1,2,3 ....12 and mark it as 1 foot. It is having base 12.

In our day today life, we use numbers of base 10. (tenary numbers or decimal numbers)
We are used to this 10 number system and very comfortable with it. But a number system can have any base.

Unary numbers uses only one digits.

1-----l
2-----ll
3-----lll
4-----llll
You know using this unary numbers is highly difficult.

Next we have binary numbers using only two digits.
0,1,10,11,100
These numbers are widely used in all digital devices. the signal like voltage and current can either represent 0 or 1 and not anything in between. Hence the digital data cannot be corrupted and hence we gaga over digital devices.

Next we take up the numbers of radix 16 called hexadecimal numbers.

In this system we use alphabets also. As you can see, it is very compact. It can be represented by 4 binary digits. Hence hex. numbers are preferred notations in representing colours in a digital display.
Number system having bases 8 and 36 are also popular.

Tenary 10 means 10 (usual numbers)
binary 10 means 2
hex. 10 means 16.
Like words the numbers also have different shades and meanings depending on the context.

Devise your own number system to code the playing cards.

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